ITAR Issues Impacting Canadian Purchase of U.S. Helicopters
Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper today reports that ITAR "restrictions on military purchases are causing so much paralysis in Ottawa" that the Canadian Government proposed "scrapping its project" to purchase Sikorsky Cyclone helicopters to replace its aging fleet of Sea Kings. The paper reports that "the Canadian government is refusing to sign documents containing ITAR restrictions -- such as technical assistance agreements and export licences -- that are crucial to the production of the Sikorsky Cyclones."
The article also indicates that "some federal officials feel that a solution to ITAR is close to being made public. However, senior officials in the defence industry fear the new rules will favour only government bureaucrats, and that employees in the private sector will continue facing the same discriminatory measures."
Labels: Canada, Export Controls, ITAR