US to pull F-35 from Canada aircraft replacement program over policy dispute
Tehran (KNA) - The United States has threatened to pull the F-35 fighter jet from a competition to replace Canada’s ageing aircraft fleet as a widening trade policy dispute continues to cause tension between the two neighbors.
On the hunt for a viable warplane to renovate its fleet of old CF-18 Hornet warplanes, Canada is expected launch the major acquisition program at the end of May.
The US government is refusing to chime in over Ottawa's insistence on requiring the winner to invest the equivalent of the acquisition cost in Canada under its Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, according to a letter obtained by defense analyst Richard Shimooka.
Canada has reportedly set aside $26 billion for the aircraft purchase, making it one of the country's biggest-ever military programs. However, the increasing price tag and continuing questions over the best aircraft to meet Canada's needs has kept Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a Liberal, from getting the program off the ground.
The letter, addressed to the Canadian government and published Monday by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think-tank, is written by US Navy Vice Admiral Mathias Winter in December 2018 and clearly states that the Canadian Royal Air Force will never receive an F-35 bid if the country insists on its ITB demands.
Source: PressTV