OTTAWA - The man in charge of buying the military's new stealth fighter says there was never a plan to hold an open competition.
Dan Ross, an assistant deputy minister at the National Defence Department, told a House of Commons committee today that the capabilities of other aircraft were examined.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay had suggested in the Commons last spring that a competition could be held and there had been reports that the federal government was preparing for other bids.
But Ross said the country would have had to bail out of the existing development agreement -- which is expected to run until 2051 -- if it decided to seek other bids.
Canada has contributed $168 million toward the development of the high-tech F-35 fighter.
Industry Canada policy demands that Canadian companies receive regional benefits, something the development agreement prohibits.
Ross said Ottawa expects to pay $70-$75 million per aircraft, which is comparable to what the country paid for the current CF-18 jet fighters almost 30 years ago.
