Maintenance, security: F-35 costs will soar

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), planes arrive at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The Montreal Gazette:

Canada's new stealth fighter aircraft will require extensive maintenance, as well as very expensive changes to improve security at the military bases they operate from, according to Defence Department documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

Critics of the Conservative government's proposal to buy the high-tech Joint Strike Fighters have been warning that the purchase will come with hidden costs that could drive up the price tag far beyond the current estimate of $16 billion.

The 2006 Department of Defence report, which looked at next-generation fighter planes as well as the stealth Joint Strike Fighter, highlighted issues that could play a factor in any aircraft purchase.

"Stealth aircraft are highly classified fighters therefore they would require special security measures at their bases of operations," the report noted.

"These changes of infrastructure are not currently known but will likely be very expensive. A stealth aircraft will be much more demanding on Canadian infrastructure."

The report also noted that upkeep of the stealth capability "will be maintenance intensive."

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