The National Fighter Procurement Secretariat has released two questionnaires to industry in order to obtain information on the price of available fighter aircraft and the potential benefits to Canadian industry. This engagement is part of the evaluation of options to replace Canada’s CF-18 fleet.
The five companies with available aircraft are invited to complete the questionnaire seeking rough order-of-magnitude cost estimates by early July. The Secretariat is also issuing a draft questionnaire to obtain information on potential industrial benefits to Canada. After feedback from the companies is reviewed and incorporated, a final questionnaire will be sent to the companies for completion at a later date, as was done with other questionnaires.
Engaging with industry is consistent with the Secretariat’s commitment to transparency and openness, and integral to an evaluation of options process. These questionnaires have benefitted from the oversight and guidance of the Independent Review Panel, which ensures that all of the work supporting the evaluation of options is both rigorous and impartial, and that the results to be made public are comprehensive and understandable.
The evaluation of options to replace Canada’s CF-18 fleet is part of the Government’s Seven Point Plan launched in response to Chapter 2, Replacing Canada’s Fighter Jets, of the Auditor General of Canada’s 2012 Spring Report. The Plan was put in place to assist the Government in making the best possible decision on replacing Canada’s fleet of CF-18 fighter aircraft.
Until the Seven-Point Plan is complete, the Government will not make a decision on the replacement for the CF-18 fighter jets and all options remain on the table.
Source/Author: Public Works and Government Services Canada