The ongoing saga to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 Air Force fleet: a chronology

OTTAWA — A program to buy new planes to replace the CF-18 fighter jets flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force for more than 30 years has become a long and complicated process. Here is a timeline of the effort thus far:

1997: The Liberal government invests $10 million in the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter program to develop a new fighter jet.

2000: Upgrades to the existing fleet of CF-18s begin in order to keep them flying until 2020.

2001: Lockheed Martin’s F-35 wins a competition under the Joint Strike Fighter program, beating out Boeing.

2010: The Conservative government announces it will buy 65 F-35s to replace the CF-18s at a cost of $9 billion. The cost estimate and decision to sole source generate controversies for more than two years.

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2012:

— The auditor general releases report saying the price tag is $10 billion higher than stated. Conservatives freeze the budget and hand the procurement process over to a new secretariat.

— A separate Defence Department review later in the year pegs the full cost of owning and operating 65 F-35s through the 2050s at nearly $46 billion.

— The National Fighter Procurement Secretariat awards contract to KPMG to review financials for the fighter jet replacement program.

— The secretariat begins consulting industry on available options to replace the CF-18.

— The Defence Department does its own assessment of the F-35.

— An independent panel is also appointed to review fighter jet options.

2014:

— Independent panel delivers its report to government. It evaluated several plans but made no recommendation, a decision left to senior bureaucrats.

— The recommendation to cabinet is that the F-35 is the right choice.

— The Conservative government says it will continue to participate in the Joint Strike Fighter Program to keep all options open until a decision is made on the replacement of the CF-18 fleet.

2015:

During the election campaign, the Liberals commit to forgoing the F-35, promising instead to hold an open and transparent competition to find a new plane. After forming government in November 2015, the mandate letter for Defence Minister Sajjan repeats promise to hold a competition, but drops specific language on F-35s.

2016:

— Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Michael Hood tells a Commons committee that Canada has enough fighter jets and a decision on a replacement can wait five years.

— Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the Air Force is facing a “capability gap,” which he later explains as a shortage of fighter jets to meet Canada’s NATO and Norad commitments.

— Hood later tells a Senate committee that after his initial testimony, the Liberal government changed the Air Force’s requirements, which created the shortage of fighter jets.

— Sajjan announces a new round of consultations with industry to decide the best path forward.

— Canada pays $33 million to stay in the F-35 program.

— The Liberal government announces it will enter negotiations with U.S. company Boeing to buy 18 Super Hornets as a stop-gap to make sure the air force has enough fighter jets until a replacement for Canada’s CF-18s can be chosen in about five years. Costs are not disclosed.

2017

— The Liberal government sends a letter to Boeing outlining exactly what Canada needs in the warplanes, when it needs them, and what type of economic benefits Canada expects in return. Boeing is expected to respond by the fall with a plan for meeting those requirements, including the price tag.

The Canadian Press