F-35 aircraft saga | We want a pilot on the plane… until the end!

It is possible to be both enthusiastic and sarcastic about the news that final negotiations for the purchase of the F-35s have started.

We can sincerely be enthusiastic to see that we are getting closer to the objective of buying the best aircraft on the market to replace the aging CF-18s of the Canadian armed forces.

But we can also afford a good dose of sarcasm because Ottawa should have acquired these fighters many years ago. And be sorry to see that Canadian drivers, instead of driving Ferraris, are still stuck behind the wheel of a used car at the end of its useful life.

We have already deplored in an editorial, nearly six years ago – i.e. before Vladimir Putin’s delusions reminded us how vital the renewal of our fleet of fighter planes is – that it was heartbreaking that a national security issue like this bears the brunt of partisan politics.

We still think so.

Let us remember that in 2015, Justin Trudeau (then a candidate) had demonized the F-35. He claimed that their purchase would be a “nightmare for taxpayers”. And he had promised that he would not acquire this plane.

Good governments are able to break their bad promises. That is what happened in this case. So much the better.

Given the lack of professionalism displayed by the Liberals on this issue over the past decade, they should not be surprised to see some people wary of how Ottawa will handle the end of this too long saga.

Some wonder, for example, why the government did not, this week, firmly announce that it was going to buy the F-35s from the manufacturer Lockheed Martin so that we could get it over with once and for all.

Isn’t that another proof of amateurism? Or at least proof of a lack of political will, which could jeopardize the delivery of these new fighter jets that we are now promised by 2025?

Not necessarily. It may be the opposite, in fact. How failures can be used to improve.

By asserting that it retains the possibility of opting for a plan B (the purchase of Saab’s Gripen), the government is giving itself greater bargaining power. A leeway to say no if the proposal is not generous enough.

Demonstrating skill remains fundamental, because the negotiation stage is crucial. It is about what Canada will be able to extract in terms of economic benefits, but also in terms of technology.

We talk so much about the involvement of local companies in the construction of the F-35s and in the maintenance and training of the pilots.

Let’s take a concrete example. It is workers from Mirabel, employees of the L3Harris company, who currently take care of the maintenance of the CF-18s. The question of who will take over and where they will be located is anything but trivial.

Especially since the maintenance of the F-35 is expensive. In Ottawa, it is currently argued that the $19 billion contract includes maintenance costs. However, it is not known how long the contract is covered by this sum, which could greatly affect the total cost.

In addition, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers recalled earlier this week that several Canadian companies are already producing components for the F-35. This is particularly the case, in Longueuil, of Pratt & Whitney and Héroux-Devtek.

Could the purchase of 88 planes by Ottawa make it possible to increase the production of components made here by the companies participating in the F-35 program?

A few years ago, seeing how Ottawa was handling the F-35 file, we wondered if there was a pilot on the plane. Fortunately, there now seems to be one.

We understand, however, that the mission of this pilot is far from over. He will have to maneuver skillfully to land this file by the end of the year.