Canada desired to
replace its fleet, and three businesses attended to meet the needs of the
federal government. The requirements were met by Lockheed Martin of the United
States and Saab of Sweden.
The newspaper
requested a response from the Department of National Defence and Public
Services and Procurement Canada, which handles the competition on behalf of the
federal government. It did, however, respond to calls for comment.
Companies were
instructed to demonstrate that their fighter jet could match the military’s
criteria for missions at home and abroad and that obtaining the contract would
result in significant economic advantages to Canada.