Canada drops F-35 order, NYT reports cost of military jets could climb further
by Alicia Freese | December 11, 2012
Canada canceled its order for 65 F-35 fighter jets last week. The Ottawa Citizen reported on Dec. 6 that the decision was prompted by the upcoming release of an audit revealing that the life-cycle cost of the aircrafts will be much higher than originally forecast.

The U.S. Air Force has selected Burlington as one of three bases nationwide for the F-35. The military jets have generated intense controversy in Chittenden County where thousands of residents will be subject to higher noise levels from the new planes.

Canada was one of nine countries - the United States among them - that submitted orders for the aircraft. Its decision to withdraw the order will increase the bill that the other countries must pay. Even before Canada bowed out, a Nov. 28 New York Times article reported that if Lockheed Martin, the primary F-35 contractor, doesn't lock in additional orders for the F-35, the Pentagon's cost estimates of $79 million to $106 million per plane will be too low.

Several other countries with F-35 orders are second-guessing their purchases as well. The United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Israel and Japan have all placed orders but, according to the New York Times article, Italy has reduced its order by 30 percent, the Netherlands has considered withdrawing its order, and Britain and Australia have not determined how many planes they want.

In the United States, there is waning enthusiasm among some government and military officials for the war jets. The New York Times article cites concerns about persistent technological glitches and worries that the F-35 flight range will be insufficient. The article also examined the likelihood that the F-35 program will fall victim to impending budget cuts.

Canada's planned F-35 purchase has been mired in controversy since the Canadian government drastically underestimated the life-cycle costs of the planes. The audit, conducted by KPMG and due out this week, is expected to confirm that total program costs will exceed $30 billion, about $15 billion more than the government's initial public estimate. The Ottawa Citizen also reported that the cancellation also came after Thomas Lawson, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, testified that other planes can evade radar.
[url]http://vtdigger.org/2012/12/11/canada-drops-f-35-order-new-york-times-reports-cost-of-military-jets-could-climb-further/