Canada will consider Lockheed Martin Inc’s F-35 in an open competition for fighter jets, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday, despite domestic and foreign criticism about the program’s cost.
Earlier on Monday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the cost of Lockheed’s F-35 program was “out of control.” During last year’s Canadian election campaign Trudeau said the jets were too expensive and promised not to buy them, but his Liberal government has since softened its position.
“It’s an open and transparent competition we’re going to be engaged in and the various aircraft and aircraft producers will have an opportunity to make their best case,” Trudeau told a news conference when asked whether Canada might be more likely to opt for the F-35 if the costs fell.
Pressed as to how vindicated he felt by Trump’s comments, Trudeau declined to answer directly.
The previous Conservative government announced in 2010 it would buy 65 F-35s but changed its mind after an official probe savaged the way the decision had been made.
Canada last month unveiled plans to buy 18 Boeing Corp Super Hornets as a stop-gap while it prepared an open five-year competition to replace its ageing CF-18 fleet.
Canada is staying in the nine-nation consortium that helped fund development of the F-35. Lockheed Martin said in June it was studying whether to shift work on the plane away from Canadian firms amid uncertainty over Ottawa’s intentions.
