This story in the Ottawa Citizen suggests a major revelation that makes the govenment look bad:

Air force expected bid process for new jets
Competition for contract worth billions was scheduled for this year, documents reveal

Air force officers working on the purchase of Canada’s new fighter planes expected there would a competition this year for the multibillion-dollar deal, according to Defence Department documents obtained by the Citizen.

The plan written by officers for the Next Generation Fighter Capability project called for a “competitive process” for both the aircraft and the long-term maintenance contract, according to the project outline developed in the summer of 2009. That schedule planned for the competition to be run in 2010, with a contract to be awarded by 2012, according to the project documents.

Instead, the Conservative government decided to proceed without a competition and select the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter built by U.S. aerospace firm Lockheed Martin…

I think the government already looks bad enough–e.g., see here, here, here and here. But it is hardly shocking news to discover that the Air Force was making plans for a possible new fighter competition. After all militaries engage in an awful lot of planning as a matter of course, and competition is the usual method for equipment procurement.

On the other hand it has long been clear that the Air Force really wanted the F-35. From Aviation Week & Space Technology, June 2009:

Canada is working to bring forward a decision on its new fighter to later this year, with the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter facing ostensible competition from the Boeing F/A-18E/F, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen NG (Next Generation).

“We are trying to advance the decision to 2009,” says a Department of National Defense (DND) official. The intent, assuming the F-35 is selected, is to allow Canada to participate in a potential “consortium buy” promising better pricing and industrial rewards…

And from the Ottawa Citizen itself, August 2009:

Military favours stealthy jet to replace CF-18s
Sole-source deal for Joint Strike Fighters a mistake: critics [the link has vanished, but part of the story can still be seen here and I have kept more of it in my personal files]

The Defence Department is recommending a multibillion-dollar sole-source purchase of a U.S. stealth-like aircraft to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets.

Work is under way on a presentation to cabinet for approval to buy 65 Joint Strike Fighters, known as JSF, even though military leaders had earlier claimed that a competitive process would be followed in any CF-18 replacement…

Defence officials have always maintained that no decision has been made on whether JSF should be purchased. But a 2006 briefing report produced by the office of Dan Ross, the assistant deputy minister for materiel, concluded that JSF was the plane best suited for Canada…

Then there’s this from an Ottawa Citizen blog post in October 2009:

…
There is also strong support for a JSF purchase within the Canadian Air Force. In May 2006 the Chief of the Air Staff completed an options analysis study that examined the future global market for next-generation tactical fighter aircraft.

“The results of this study have indicated that the JSF family of aircraft provides the best available operational capabilities to meet Canadian operational requirements, while providing the longest service life and the lowest per aircraft cost of all options considered,” according to a Sept. 19, 2006 briefing report entitled JSF Program. The report was prepared for then Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor by office of Dan Ross, the assistant deputy minister for materiel…

It’s worth noting though that in December 2006 the CF were saying there were possible alternatives to the F-35 and thus implicitly not ruling out a competetion; one never knows what goverments may eventually decide:

U.K., Canada Keep JSF Options Open

Even though Pentagon officials this week inked agreements with three of the eight Joint Strike Fighter partner nations, two of those countries will continue to examine secondary options to the F-35 in the coming months, international defense officials tell Inside the Air Force.

Representatives from the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom all approved an international memorandum of understanding solidifying the participation of those nations for the next stage of development on the fifth-generation aircraft…

…
While echoing the sentiment that preliminary evaluations of the F-35 have shown the aircraft to be the answer to its fighter requirements [emphasis added, observe the "prliminary"], Canadian defense officials are also looking at potential alternatives to the fifth-generation aircraft.

“I think that we are going to look at the full spectrum of capabilities to meet future operational requirements,” [Michael] Slack [Canada’s Joint Strike Fighter program manager] said in the interview. “If something emerges that turns out to be extremely capable, who knows? I do not have a crystal ball anymore than you do.”

Canadian defense officials are eying the 2012 time frame for a final decision [so why the rush now? see this post again]…

Production aircraft seen as possible alternatives to the JSF include the JAS 39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, along with upgraded versions of the Super Hornet, Col. Dave Burt, Canada’s director for air requirements, said in a brief Dec. 11 interview with ITAF [Inside the Air Force]…

So more of that normal planning even with a preference. Keeep in mind also that the 2006 agreement clearly in no way committed Canada actually to buying the F-35.

Update: Towards the end of this interview this morning on CFRA Ottawa,

…
Madely in the Morning – 7:45am — Steve Madely is joined by Defence Minister Peter Mackay to discuss his announcement to pump $2 billion into helping the country’s most severely injured veterans.
mp3 (click here to download)…

the MND is asked about the F-35. He says Canada is “getting a preferred price” (why not tell us exactly what it is then?) and that our Air Force will have the “best fighter aircraft on the planet” (Peter has apparently forgot the F-22, but then it’s not for export).  As for getting the best, that clearly does not apply to the Navy, odd that.

Mark
Ottawa