Full Description
In 1993, Canada's Liberal Party cancelled an order to replace the Sea King maritime helicopter. The Liberals claimed the Tory plan was too expensive, but the cancellation itself actually cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The incident drew public attention to the waste in Canada's defence spending and to the under-equipped state of its military.
Aaron Plamondon ties the bungled attempts to replace the Sea King - before and since 1993 - to the evolution of the weapons procurement process in Canada since Confederation. He reveals that partisan politics, rather than a desire to increase the military's capabilities, has driven the nation's policy-makers.
Contents
Preface
Introduction: The Canadian Defence Procurement System
1 Procurement in Canada: A Brief History
2 Early Helicopter Operations: The Exploration of a New Capability
3 The Procurement of the Sea King: Slow but Solid
4 The Sea King in Canada: Time Is the Enemy of Us All
5 The New Shipborne Aircraft Project: A Commitment to Replace the Fleet
6 The Vulnerability of the NSA: Political Parrying
7 The 1993 NSA Cancellation: Money for Nothing
8 The 1994 White Paper and the New Statement of Requirement: The Ghost of Procurements Past
9 The Maritime Helicopter Project: Procuring on Eggshells
10 The Cyclone Decision: Caveat Emptor
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
