Canada's new defence chief cautious on F-35 despite party pledge

By Phil Stewart
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Canada's new
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan on Friday said it was premature
to discuss which aircraft would replace Canada's aging CF-18
fighter jets, caution that just might offer a glimmer of hope to
Lockheed Martin (N:LMT) Corp's LMT.N F-35 fighter jet.
Sajjan's Liberal Party pledged in its campaign to scrap
planned F-35 purchases.
But in an interview with Reuters, Sajjan said his fledgling
government was still working to determine its requirements for
the next jet and insisted the selection process would be "open
and transparent."
"I'm focused on the requirements that we need ... as a
nation that works with our allies as well, with NATO and our
NORAD commitments," Sajjan told Reuters, referring to the North
American Aerospace Defense Command.
Sajjan, a former police officer and veteran of military
deployments to Afghanistan, said it would be "premature" to talk
about the F-35.
He spoke at the Halifax International Security Forum shortly
after meeting Deputy U.S. Defense Secretary Bob Work and said he
delivered a similar message in private.
"I told the Deputy Secretary the same thing. I want to focus
on making sure we have the right aircraft for Canada," Sajjan
said, without elaborating.
New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the F-35
"didn't come up" after his first formal meeting with U.S.
President Barack Obama on Thursday in the Philippines.
Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the F-35 program office, said
Canada remained a partner in the program and was still slated to
participate in a meeting of the program's executive steering
board in Italy early next month.
"Similar to actions taken by other nations, the Government
of Canada is working to launch an open and transparent
competition to replace their legacy aircraft," he said.
"The F-35 Joint Program Office will continue to provide
Canada with the data they need to make an informed decision that
is in their best national interest."
At the same time, Trudeau has vowed to stick to another
campaign pledge: a promise to withdraw six Canadian jets that
have been attacking the militants in Iraq and Syria, as part of
a bid to refocus Canada's military contribution.
Sajjan said it was too soon to estimate when those jets
would be withdrawn.
"We have to do it ... in a responsible manner that does not
decrease the capability of the coalition," he said.