Canada to buy 65 Lockheed Martin fighter jets

OTTAWA — Canada on Friday unveiled a controversial multi-billion dollar deal to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet.The Joint Strike jets, developed by Lockheed Martin in a multinational effort that included Canada, the United States and Britain, will cost nine billion Canadian dollars (8.5 billion US), Defense Minister Peter MacKay said.The purchase will reportedly occur in tandem with plans by the US government to buy 2,443 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets.Canada's opposition, which has been angered by the lack of a competitive process in the purchase, has vowed to kill the sole-source contract if they are returned to power in future elections.But with delivery of the F-35s set to start in 2016, Mackay said Canada's next generation fighter jets needed to be "interoperable" with US and NATO aircraft to better fight "shoulder to shoulder with our allies."The Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, and Australia are also partners in the fifth generation F-35 program, and Mackay said: "A large number of our allies are moving to purchase this same aircraft.""This multi-role stealth fighter will help the Canadian forces defend the sovereignty of Canadian airspace, remain a strong and reliable partner in the defense of North America, and provide Canada with an effective and modern capability for international operations," MacKay said.Canadian aerospace and technology firms will also be able to participate in the development and manufacture of the aircraft and its weapons systems, he added.To date, more than 85 Canadian companies, research laboratories and universities have been awarded contracts linked to the F-35 jet's development worth 350 million dollars (332 million US).Ottawa has spent 168 million dollars (159.5 US) on the F-35 program since joining it in 1997.The purchase price includes the acquisition of the aircraft and associated weapons, infrastructure, initial spare parts, training simulators, contingency funds and project operating costs.Maintenan

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