It started as $9 billion. Now it's up to $16 billion for 65 F-35 fighter jets. There will be no competition for the contract either. Whoooeeee! Airbus rides again (and these guys have the nerve to bitch about the costs of the long gun registry).
This article in the Globe shows the government is well aware that opening the contract to competitive bids would likely result in lower costs, (ya think?) and create jobs in Canada. Obviously neither is a priority at Versailles on the Rideau.
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Even the Americans are alarmed at the out of control pricing of the F-35. I don't think it's over yet either. It is an amazing and incredibly versatile strike fighter, truly like no other, but is it really necessary or are the CF taking advantage of a raw meat government to go for the gold-plated option? It's more than curious that the Canadian Forces are willing to put aside their traditional opposition to single-engine fighters that will have to be used over Canada's remote and vast north.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that this amount is just a mere fraction of Harper's proposed $500 billion defense 'explosion' in spending.
ReplyDeleteThere's an expression: "bake sales should be for bombers; billions for babies".
This proves again that socons and others could give a shit about effective fiscal management when they can shove a gun down someone's throat.
Let's face it: government spending and the military have become one giant racket that none of us can prevent.
But what a shame. Imagine what Canadians could do with those billions!!
The current cost of these weapons seems to be about $113,000,000 each.
ReplyDeleteDoes that price include the armaments that the planes can carry when fully armed?
These include:
Two AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
The GBU-32 JDAM, GPS-guided bomb
The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb
The Mauser BK27 27-mm cannon
The MK-82 BLU-111 500lb LDGP
The MK-83 BSU-85 HGDP
The MK-84 2000lb LD/HGDP
The MK-84 / BLU-109 Warhead
The MK-82 Warhead
The "Stormshadow"
The AIM-94 "Sidewinder"
The AGM-88 "HARM"
The AGM-65 "Maverick"
and the CBU 99M00 "Rockeye II" Cluster Munitions?
. . . . among others
What is the total estimated cost of this acquisition? And who are we going to kill with these weapons of mass destuction?
Ray Blessin
Kamloops
Whatever the stated cost, you can be sure it will go up. What troubles me is the length of the contract. We'll be paying for this long after Harper is gone.
ReplyDelete