Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked for a review of Canada’s plan to purchase a fleet of F-35 fighter jets.

The deal with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government is for 88 planes at a cost of about US$85 million each.

A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair said Carney has asked Blair to look into whether the F-35 contract is the best investment for Canada, or if there are better options.

“We need to do our homework given the changing environment, and make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces,” Blair’s press secretary Laurent de Casanove said.

  • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    19 hours ago

    Here’s me pretending, with data.

    From trains and highways to power plants and ports, Chinese funding has helped to accelerate Africa’s economic growth and bridge infrastructural gaps.

    However, although these loans have accelerated growth, they also present obstacles that may impede long-term development. These obstacles take the form of debt default.

    The volume of borrowing from China has generated concerns over debt sustainability in some African countries.

    • Angola … $64.8 billion
    • South Africa … $21.3 billion
    • Ethiopia … $20.4 billion
    • Sudan … $18 billion
    • Egypt … $15 billion
    • Nigeria … $14.5 billion
    • Zambia … $13.5 billion
    • Democratic Republic of Congo … $13.1 billion
    • Kenya … $12.7 billion
    • Ghana … $9.8 billion Source