The Department of National Defence has launched an internal investigation into the leak of confidential data from the technical competition between the two fighter jets vying to replace Canada’s CF-18 fleet.
Previously unpublished data obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada last month showed the American-built Lockheed Martin F-35 had a considerable lead during the technical competition over the Gripen, manufactured by Sweden-based Saab.
The leak fuelled the ongoing debate over the government’s decision to either proceed with the purchase of a full fleet of 88 F-35s, or instead acquire a mixed fleet of both F-35s and Gripens.
“Commercial information related to any solicitation process is considered protected information,” said Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin. “We are currently in the early stages of an investigation. For this reason, we will not comment further.”
The existence of the investigation was first reported by the Ottawa Citizen.
The 2021 competition focused on each fighter jet’s capabilities in defending the North American continent and the likelihood of success in various missions against modern military forces.
The F-35 got a score of 95 per cent on military capabilities, with a total of 57.1 points out of 60.
By contrast, the Gripen-E finished with a score of 33 per cent, netting 19.8 points, according to the DND ranking obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada.
The gap was particularly significant in scoring for “mission performance” and ability to upgrade the aircraft over its life cycle.
F-35 bested Gripen jet in 2021 Defence Department competition
In 2022, the government awarded the CF-18 replacement contract to Lockheed Martin, which won the competition based on an analysis of technical capabilities, cost and economic benefits.
Earlier this year, however, the Carney government decided to revise its F-35 purchase in response to the Trump administration’s more aggressive foreign and trade policies. The government is currently refusing to disclose its final decision regarding the fighter jets.
Éric-Pierre Champagne, president of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec, said it is important for media organizations to do their work freely. He pointed out that the F-35 contract is worth $27 billion.
“It’s not a good idea for the federal government to start hunting for reporters’ sources, especially given that while this may be information that it deemed confidential, it remains in the public interest,” he said.
A security expert says the leak seemed to be designed to bolster the message of F-35 advocates, given that many details about the 2021 competition were missing.
“The leak was a significant effort to convince the public that the government should choose the F-35 fighter over the Gripen, and put considerable pressure on the government to do so,” said Wesley Wark of the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
He criticized the lack of more precise information about the criteria used by the federal government during the competition.
“What we are left with is a pure propaganda exercise by whomever was engaged in the leak,” said Wark.
Former lieutenant-general Yvan Blondin said the details surrounding the competition between the F-35 and the Gripen “are militarily sensitive.”
In his view, the investigation into the leak is more about sending a message within government than finding the people responsible.
“It reminds everyone that this is not information to be shared,” said Blondin.
