Brain Drain, Staff Cuts, Blamed for Dysfunctional DND Purchasing

A new study looking at Canada’s troubled military procurement system suggests the government’s own policies have contributed to the dysfunction and delay.

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter sits at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14, 2011. A new study looking at Canada’s troubled military procurement system suggests the government’s own policies have contributed to the dysfunction and delay. The Canadian Press/AP, U.S. Air Force, Samuel King Jr.

OTTAWA—A new study looking at Canada’s politically charged military procurement system suggests the Harper government’s own policies have contributed to the dysfunction and delay.

The report, titled “Putting the ‘Armed’ Back into the Canadian Armed Forces,” was written jointly by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and the MacDonald-Laurier Institute. It was based on over 50 confidential interviews and a workshop with retired and currently serving acquisition officials, political staff, and consultants.

The analysis provides an unvarnished, in-depth look at the system, which has long been beset by delays, cancellations, and cost overruns.

The study also provides a useful benchmark for evaluating the Conservative government’s record on one of its most politically troublesome files as the country heads into an election.

Re-equipping the military … has been a persistent political headache for the Harper government.