BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

"Anybody know where I can find a job?" It's good to know a retired RCAF officer need not rely strictly on his or her modest pension after retirement.  There are plenty of other jobs in the private or public sector for those with the experience and credentials. Take Lt. General Charles Bouchard for instance, just slightly over a year (the mandatory "cooling off period) after his retirement from the RCAF, Bouchard has now been chosen as the new boss in charge of Lockheed Martin's operations in Canada.  Quite the prestigious, and no doubt well compensated position. Does the name sound familiar?  It should, Bouchard led NATO forces during the bombing runs over Libya a few years back.  While the actual benefits of that action are debatable , the operation itself went off rather smoothly.   But perhaps you heard the name somewhere else, maybe more recently? Back in December 2012, when the damning KPMG report prompted the Canadian federal govern...

The Canadian F-35 controversy never seems to stop. Amidst concerns about the JSF's price, availability, performance, and suitability for Canada; Lockheed Martin has giving its F-35 Lightning II an extra "push" by marketing the F-35's advanced features, stealth, and potential job creation for Canadians. Recently, Lockheed Martin has become a little more aggressive with its push, stating that Canada could lose out in approximately $10.5 billion worth of related contracts.  Given the estimated $9 billion procurement cost fixed to the CF-18 replacement, this certainly does appear to be "losing out" on a lucrative deal.  Looking closer, this is appears to be more fear-mongering than anything else. Everybody gets a piece of the pie...  But are the pieces the same size? As a Tier 3 partner in the JSF program, Canada has already invested into the F-35.  This has paid off already, with $500 million worth of F-35 related contracts awarded to Canadian f...