Procurement and Politics : Strategies of Defence Acquisition in Canada and Australia

This open access book compares the experiences of large-scale military procurement in Canada and Australia. Focusing on the recent frigate and jet-fighter programmes, it demonstrates how delays suffered in delivering weapons systems and platforms in these countries have been caused by misalignments between the strategic requirements set out by the armed forces and government defence policies. By bringing the insights of public management and administration to those of defence studies, the book presents policy options that will help improve the nature of future large-project military procurement. It will appeal to scholars and students of public administration, public management, and defence studies, as well as practitioners and policymakers. Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction: Procurement and Politics—The Defence Policy Consensus or Aligning Strategy and Policy Is Necessary But Not Automatic Bibliography Chapter 2: Procuring Advanced Weapon Systems and Platforms: Four Types of Procurement Considered 2.1 The Need for Alignment of Government Purchaser and User Aims in Successful Type 4 Military Procurement Processes Bibliography Chapter 3: Failure Where Alignment is Lacking: Type 26 Frigate Procurement Processes in Australia Versus Canada, 1990–2022 3.1 The Australian Frigate Procurement Case 3.2 The Canadian Frigate Procurement Case 3.3 Comparison of the Australian and Canadian Frigate Procurement Processes and Outcomes Bibliography Chapter 4: The Significance of Politicization: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Procurement Processes in Canada and Australia, 2000–2022 4.1 The Australian F-35 Procurement Case 4.2 The Canadian F-35 Procurement Case 4.3 Comparison of the Australian and Canadian F-35 Procurement Processes and Outcomes Bibliography Chapter 5: Analysis: Military Platform Procurement Strategies and the Need for Political and Doctrinal Alignment in Type 4 Purchases Bibliography Chapter 6: Conclusion: Lessons from Military Procurement for Procurement Studies Bibliography Appendix A: Detailed Canadian Surface Combatant Chronology Appendix B: Canadian Defence Policy, 1964–2017 Appendix C: Australian Defence Policy, 1976–2020 Glossary Bibliography Index