Thank you, Mr. Chair, committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter as Canada's next fighter aircraft.
The CF-18 Hornet has provided outstanding service to Canada for more than 28 years. It will remain our front-line fighter until the 2020 timeframe, when it reaches the end of its life expectancy. This will allow for phase-in of the Lightning II.
Manned fighters are essential to our ability to maintain control and sovereignty over our airspace, whether in Canada or during operations abroad. This is a fact of modern air power. All industrialized nations acknowledge it.
Neither unmanned aerial vehicles nor any other air platform can carry out this demanding and complex task, whether they are operating in the air-to-air or air-to-ground environments. If you do not control the airspace over which you are operating—maritime or land—you will likely fail or take unacceptable losses. You must be able to deny an adversary use of that airspace to win. This need is recognized by the government's commitment in the Canada First Defence Strategy to acquire new fighters.
Analyses of our mandatory requirements for Canada's next fighter have made it clear that only a fifth-generation fighter could satisfy those requirements in the increasingly complex future security environment. The Lightning II is the only fifth-generation aircraft available to Canada. Not only that, but the F-35 offers the best cost value of any fighter available to us.
The F-35 Lightning II and the joint strike fighter program bring unique advantages. The F-35 Lightning II is designed with stealth technology--that is, low observability--that significantly reduces its electromagnetic signature and reduces detection by enemy sensor systems. It provides lower risk and improves survivability for the pilot, and provides enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Lightning II incorporates advanced sensor and data fusion technology to gather, synthesize, and display information. This will help pilots understand the tactical situation at a glance, make complex tactical decisions quickly, and take decisive action.
The aircraft takes care of much of the data-gathering and synthesis that pilots now do themselves, which has become almost overwhelming in its quantity and speed. In effect, the aircraft is the co-pilot.
The aircraft will be interoperable with our allies. Nine like-minded nations are partners in the JSF memorandum of understanding, and our interoperability with them will be seamless, safe and effective within NORAD and NATO and on coalition operations. The aircraft is sustainable. We will be able to replace lost aircraft—or acquire additional aircraft if the future global situation demands it—because the production line will operate until at least 2035.
As well, software will be upgraded on an ongoing basis. Canada will not have to contract individually for upgrades, bringing huge cost savings and keeping the aircraft up to date as technology evolves.
There has been discussion about the safety of a single-engine versus a twin-engine aircraft. Modern single- and twin-engine fighter aircraft have virtually equivalent engine-related attrition rates. In other words, there is no statistical difference in survivability from either engine failure or combat damage, but the single-engine configuration has significantly lower procurement and maintenance costs.
In summary, the F-35 Lightning II will provide Canada with the greatest probability of mission success, and the greatest probability that our men and women will survive, returning safely from their missions.
We require the F-35 Lightning II to protect Canadian interests and to counter tomorrow's threats. Procured and sustained through the joint strike fighter program, the F-35 is the best value for our taxpayers' dollar and will keep Canada at the forefront of fighter operations, enabling our fighter fleet to remain relevant, flexible, viable, and sustainable well into the middle of this century.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.