The federal auditor general has identified several critical issues facing Canada’s proposed purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets. These challenges include substantial cost overruns, a shortage of qualified pilots, and inadequate infrastructure support.An audit conducted by Auditor General Karen Hogan has revealed substantial challenges for the multi-billion dollar program. The audit assessed whether National Defence’s plan to procure stealth fighters, intended to replace Canada’s aging CF-18s, adhered to its schedule and budgetary constraints. .The audit identified difficulties with both."This is a large, multi-year project that requires active and ongoing management of risks and costs to ensure that the CF-35 fleet can be brought into service on time," said Hogan in a statement.The audit is part of Hogan's spring reports.In December 2022, the Liberal government signed an agreement to buy the US built aircraft. “I would point to two reasons why the costs increased from $19 billion to $27 billion, some outside of the control of the government, [such as] inflation, foreign exchange fluctuations, and just global demand for munitions that have caused an increase in certain elements," said Hogan.“But, other elements were well within the government's control. Their original estimate of $19 billion was based on outdated information. There was more recent information available about the cost of the actual fighter jets that could have been used in, factored into that.” “And the slowness of putting plans into action have resulted in the need for, you know, interim measures, whether it be for the housing of the infrastructure, or the housing of the planes, or to train. And those are well within the National Defences control as well.”.However, an audit has revealed significant challenges beyond the escalating cost. A scarcity of qualified pilots and inadequate support infrastructure further jeopardize the program’s viability.Hogan’s reports also criticized the contracts awarded to GCStrategies for the ArriveCan application and other projects. The auditor discovered that these contracts frequently disregarded established procedures and failed to provide a return on investment for the incurred expenses.
