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Analysis

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff promised Monday to re-examine a deal to buy the next-generation F-35 stealth fighter plane, but military experts say it would be pointless for a Liberal government to hold a “fly-off” competition to replace Canada’s deteriorating CF-18 fighter-bombers given that there is no alternative that would suit the Canadian Forces’ needs.

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“We are going to replace the CF-18 — we care about the sovereignty of Canada. But we’ve got time to get this right. [The Conservatives] tried to hustle the country into a purchase without a competitive process,” Mr. Ignatieff said during a campaign stop at a downtown Toronto hotel. “We’ve got to deliver the right plane at the right price.”

The promise, however, puts Mr. Ignatieff at risk of reminding voters of the last time the Liberals played politics with military procurements. In 1994, Jean Chrétien’s Liberal government kept a campaign vow to scrap a deal to replace the ancient Sea King helicopter, leading to a prolonged and expensive wait for a successor.