TORONTO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Canadian Liberal leader Justin
Trudeau said on Sunday his party would scrap a program to buy
advanced F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) LMT.N if it wins
power in the Oct. 19 federal election.
The party said in a statement it would launch an open and
transparent competition to replace Canada's aging CF-18 fighter
jets. It said a Liberal government will not purchase the F-35
stealth fighter-bomber.
"Our (military) commitments will, among other things, ensure
that the Royal Canadian Navy is able to operate as a blue water
fleet well into the future," Trudeau said in a statement.
"By choosing to replace the existing CF-18s with a more
affordable aircraft than the F-35s, we will be able to guarantee
the delivery of current procurements for the navy."
Canada's ruling Conservatives announced a deal in 2010 to
buy 65 advanced F-35 jets, but abandoned the plan in 2012 after
a probe found officials had deliberately downplayed the costs
and risks of the deal.
The right-leaning Conservatives, who have ruled the country
for nearly a decade, are in a tight three-way race with the
center-left Liberals and New Democratic Party.