Public Accounts committee  That's an estimate of the opportunities to Canadian firms as a result of their participation in this process, given the estimated build of 3,100 planes.

Public Accounts committee  This is the estimated slice of the pie for Canada. The actual cost of building this and the contracts available internationally would be much larger. This is an estimate of the opportunities Canada would be able to capture.

Public Accounts committee  There are no guarantees.

Public Accounts committee  I think what I was saying was that it's well understood that access to the industrial participation for Canadian companies is contingent upon participation in the process. So that's what I meant to say. If it was unclear, I do apologize.

Public Accounts committee  Our interest is primarily in the industrial opportunities for Canadian companies, and it has been well understood by the—

Public Accounts committee  I think what I would say is that we certainly see, from an Industry Canada perspective, certain advantages to being part of this consortium because of the access to the very advanced technologies and the ability to develop them that it provides, which you wouldn't have with another process.

Public Accounts committee  I think that's well understood: that the purchase of the aircraft has being part of that consortium as part of the arrangement.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, I could say two things to that. The first is if you look at the current contracts for work on production of the JSF, and you assume that the Canadian companies that have won those contracts will continue to be successful and will continue to be part of the supply chain—in other words, they won't lose the work they've already won—if you extrapolate the work they're already doing to the full run of the aircraft production, that amounts to just under $7.5 billion U.S.

Public Accounts committee  Just under $10 billion U.S.

Public Accounts committee  That is one of the significant differences with this approach. We're not using traditional IRBs, industrial and regional benefits, but we're involved in a consortium to develop the technology, because the Canadian firms are in on the ground floor on the development of that technology.

Public Accounts committee  At the moment, 70 companies have won work on this particular project. I have some information I could share with the committee. They are spread all across the country.

Public Accounts committee  The estimate right now for the potential opportunities for Canadian firms is $9.85 billion U.S.; that's for the production of the aircraft and does not include sustainment and some of the service. For the actual manufacture, if we have the 3,100 or so planes that are estimated to be produced, it's just under $10 billion in terms of opportunities for Canadian companies.

Public Accounts committee  Absolutely. We've been looking very carefully at his recommendations and at ways we can provide a fuller picture of the potential opportunities going forward.

Public Accounts committee  We'll certainly take a look at that. We're well aware of the comments the Auditor General has made in that area. We know that at the very earliest development of this project, ranges were developed. When we actually had a prime contractor selected and we had gone further along, we felt we had good information to provide kind of the upper bound, but really there wasn't necessarily the same basis of information to start making projections of what a lower bound could be.

Public Accounts committee  They are certainly a part of the decision-making process of the government. Industry Canada gives advice on what the likely industrial participation benefits will be for industry. But the primary driver of acquisitions is the defence needs of the country. Industry Canada comes in after those needs are defined to work on what the industrial benefits would be.