Ottawa, ON –The government’s choice of Saab’s GlobalEye as the preferred supplier for the Airborne Early Warning and Control platform may have generated headlines at CANSEC. But, according to reports, it also came as a shock to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), as well as to other manufacturers ready to bid on this project.
Yesterday, Conservatives wrote to the Auditor General and Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) to investigate this decision, and determine whether proper processes had been followed.
“Canadians deserve to know if politicians, Liberal staffers and bureaucrats were putting political decisions ahead of national security, defence and operational readiness,” said James Bezan, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence. “The Auditor General and PBO must determine whether due consideration was given and protocols were observed.”
Conservatives are deeply concerned that the Prime Minister and his newly-formed Defence Investment Agency may have decided on the GlobalEye without proper consideration or consultation with the RCAF or other defence officials.
For instance, it has come to light that Saab did not meet with the Department of National Defence or RCAF about the operational requirements of the platform until weeks after the announcement.
The subsequent technical assessment identified meaningful capability shortfalls with the GlobalEye, including limited radar coverage, the absence of air-to-air refuelling, and incompatibility with NORAD’s secure data network and other allied connectivity requirements.
“All this suggests that the Liberal government and Defence Investment Agency has neglected due process, allowing favouritism and politics to supersede the CAF’S operational needs,” added Jeff Kibble, Conservative Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement.
Conservatives are committed to putting our sailors, soldiers and aviators first, and to getting the Canadian Armed Forces the equipment they need for the threats Canadians face.