The federal Liberal government announced in March that the F-35 had beaten out Saab’s Gripen in the
Ministers subsequently launched final negotiations with the
They also emphasized that the deal for the F-35 is not finalized, with the government retaining the option to talk with Saab should discussions with
Nonetheless, during a parliamentary committee appearance this week,
"Recent statements by the government indicated
"There should be no negotiation on these critical elements. These elements of the bidders’ response were to be committed to and then evaluated as part of the competitive process."
Carroll later accused the government of not following the process for running the competition that was laid out to Saab.
"Canada’s decision to move into the finalization phase to negotiate with the competitor to determine cost, benefits and deliveries that are mandatory requirements as part of the program are inconsistent with the (fighter jet) procurement guidance that we were given."
In a statement on Friday, the federal department responsible for leading the competition and negotiations pushed back, saying it is following the steps that were laid out to companies when they were asked to submit their bids during the competition.
"The finalization phase is still ongoing and is being executed as laid out in the bid solicitation documents,"
"During this phase, the top-ranked bidder must successfully demonstrate that a resulting contract would meet all of Canada’s requirements and outcomes, including value for money, flexibility, protection against risks, and performance and delivery assurances."
When the government announced the launch of negotiations for the F-35 in March, Defence Minister
"We need to discuss capability requirements, we need to discuss costs, we need to discuss timelines, when are we going to get these aircraft," said Public Service and Procurement Canada assistant deputy minister
"So there are still quite a few parameters and variables to bring home with the company."
As for the anticipated
And while officials at the time expressed optimism that a deal would be finalized by the end of the year, and the first F-35 delivered by 2025,
Retired colonel
But he said that if Saab was truly concerned about the process, there are legal avenues such as the
"If Saab is challenging this, then they have the means to contest it formally," Stephenson said. "So, all in all, they're playing a bit of a game here. And if they truly believe that they've been hard done by, then they can contest it."
Saab spokeswoman
"As stated in our appearance yesterday, Saab provided firm commitments to
"Saab participated in the committee as we are dedicated to serving the Canadian government and Armed Forces, and felt that we could contribute to the study of air defence procurement projects."
As for why details such as cost and delivery schedule weren’t included in the F-35's bid, Stephenson said purchasing military equipment is much more complex than items like pencils, given various factors that need to be considered.
For the F-35, that includes the fact
"My sense is that it's a lesson learned from past procurements," he said. "If all this is left until after a winner is announced,
This report by
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