CANADA INVESTS ANOTHER $54M IN F-35 STEALTH FIGHTER

Canada has quietly paid another $54 million toward the development of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter, bringing its total investment in the controversial project to roughly half a billion dollars over the past 20 years. The government is consulting with fighter-jet builders, including Lockheed Martin and U.S. aerospace giant Boeing, before launching a formal competition early next year to decide on a replacement for the air force’s aging CF-18s. Boeing remains on the fence about whether its Super Hornet will participate in the competition. One concern is a new provision the government announced last year that aims to make it more difficult for companies that are deemed to be hurting the Canadian economy to win defence contracts.