The Politics of Procurement: Military Acquisition in Canada and the Sea King Helicopter

In 1993, Canada’s Liberal Party cancelled an order to replace the navy’s Sea King helicopter. It claimed that the Tory plan was too expensive, but the cancellation itself actually cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Aaron Plamondon connects this incident to the larger evolution of defence procurement in Canada, revealing that partisan politics, rather than a desire to increase the military’s capabilities, have driven the military procurement process. This saga of the government playing havoc with weapons acquisition offers an explanation for, and clues for resolving, the under-equipped state of Canada’s military. In detailing the complexities of buying fighter aircrafts for the RCAF in the early years of the Cold War, Wakelam also sheds light on contemporary procurement issues.