That certainly is a factor. I'm not sure if I can call them excessive, not being a specialist myself on the needs of the Canadian Forces, so maybe they're totally justified. It's clear that we see it in procurement projects—not only defence but also IT projects—where, if you ask the ultimate users what they would like to have or what do they need to have, they'll have lots of specifications. It's not clear whether each and every one of them is necessary, but if they become part of the requirements in the contract, they drive up costs even though not every single one of them may be necessary.
On June 9th, 2023. See this statement in context.