Thank you, Mr. Chair.
There are two reasons why we decided to acquire the F-35 through the joint strike fighter MOU rather than competing something that's already been competed. The first reason is that the Canada First defence strategy two years ago committed us to purchasing a next-generation fighter. So the defence department and Public Works research has confirmed that there is only one next-generation fighter available for purchase by Canada.
As you know, the procurement process does not drive the requirements; the requirements drive the procurement process. So in accordance with government procurement guidelines, competitions do not need to be held when there is only one product available that meets the requirements set by the client. In practice we do not run competitions when this is the case, as, frankly, it would be dishonest. It would be a waste of time and a waste of resources.
The Canada First defence strategy clearly laid out two years ago in a public document that the air force required a next-generation fighter. Since then we have done extensive research to ensure that the F-35 is the only next-generation fighter available to us for purchase.