Laughing in the face of Harper's lies

Pentagon official casts more doubt on Harper’s dire F-35 industry warning

OTTAWA — More questions have been raised about how much Canadian business would suffer if a future government drops out of the oft-maligned F-35 stealth fighter program.

The Pentagon's top acquisition official says the Canadian supply base is an essential part of the program and will remain as such, even if the nation does not buy the aircraft.

Earlier this week, Justin Trudeau pledged that a Liberal government would withdraw from the program, buy a cheaper fighter jet and plow the savings into rebuilding the navy.

His stand prompted a dire warning from Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, who although not fully committed to proceeding with the F-35, predicted that leaving the program would damage the country's aerospace industry, particularly in Montreal.

There is currently no signed government contract with U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin, but it's speculated that Canadian companies supplying parts for the F-35 could lose business.

Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's undersecretary of defence for acquisition, told reporters in Fort Worth, Tex., on Tuesday that he can't see why the existing $637 million in contracts wouldn't remain with Canadian firms.

http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2015/09/23/pentagon-official-casts-more-doubt-on-harpers-dire-f-35-industry-warning/#.VgLyn_lVikq