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Here we go again – the military screws up another major weapons system procurement.  This time around it’s the Air Force and the CF-35 (above left).  From experience and history we know that the military is like a kid in a toy shop when it comes to procurement.  Always looking for the shiniest new toy – even if that toy does not work.  Always looking forward to how many senior ranks can retire into high paid “consulting”  jobs as a result of the purchase.  The Air Force has been here before, remember  the Avro Arrow (above right).  Although the Diefenbaker government got the blame for the project’s demise in reality it was the Air Force constantly changing the requirements that delayed the project and drove up the costs to the point where the entire project had to be scrapped.  Even the CF-18, still in service, once purchased we discovered it had been designed for aircraft carrier take-offs and landings – remember the costly modifications resulting from that mess.  And it’s not the just the Air Force.  The Navy with its scrapped project for high speed coastal patrol vessels, and more recently,  those junk submarines recently purchased from the Brits.  The Army is in a class of its own when it comes to buying systems and equipment unsuitable for the mission – some military historians still remember the Ross Rifle, the front line tanks,  and more recently, how about the Anti Tank Sirrel to name just a few.  My advice to the government, restrict the military to producing statements-of-requirement and to testing the systems – leave the procurement process to the experts.