I guess the biggest factor of not building in Canada is a lack of want and will, lots of excuses and little need to. Many on this site follow those sentiments.
Excuse 1, We do not make enough of them to justify running a line.
Excuse 2, We do not have the skills
Excuse 3, no one will buy our product built here
Excuse 4, it will have to be heavily subsidized
Excuse 5, we do not have the facilities.
to mention a few.
Yet GDLS Canada Built the LAV series here, is it a 100% Canadian Company, nope but neither is BAE an American Company but they both work internationally building equipment with and for our Allies. They work in sectors providing expertise building military and non military stuff around the world to the those paying their bills.
Isn't it Funny Poland has around the same population and has recently fired up a few more manufactures then it had in the past from various companies and countries.
I do find it interesting that some commenting on here appear to be in the higher levels of the CF. In that I understand why things do not happen, or happen very slowly.
I remember when the LAVS appeared, many said no way are they going to make those here in Canada, no way will others buy them. Guess what build a good product and sales will follow.
Sometimes thinking outside the box gets things done. Why would anyone do that it might mean change, we are all scared of change.
Time will tell if Canada builds anything themselves, buys a relic of the Cold War or advances to a new level of two feet and heart beat.
I would say some of those are very cold hard realty and can not change even with will and want. The LAV thing worked because of the Striker. If not the plant would have be gone just like it's other business GM diesel trains in the same facility at one point.
Here is one idea for you that could very much work industrial wise. Political this idea would never but go with me. If the Bell V280 gets though the GAO protest. Canada should sign up at level 1 Co developer of the platform. Bell has a big footprint Canada. We would get a large part the manufacturing subsystem. And as a bonus maybe we spring for a FACO at Bell for the ones we buy and say any foreign order from Commonwealth or something.
Politically you get into the problem of no bid competition. This is a show stopper. It was the problem with the F35. (I had always wished they just said they did have competition it was XF32 v XF35 so it's was done)
Oh I have many ideas that could work in an industrial sense it's the political side that is more than 50 percent of the problem
One more get BRP to rig up something for the G Wagon replacement.
Or get GM defence to do something in Oshawa. Something bigger strong than the ISV but not as big as the JTLV based on the big pickup built in Canada then make it world production center for that.
Here's the one I would have done years ago before Bombardier imploded. Design the CS series as a direct competitor to the P8. But have the competition in the bidding for the system side. NG, Raytheon and Lockheed would all jumped at the chance. Make the winner the major prime have then have them push plane tk other around the world. Too late now. Also an AWACS too like the wedgetails.
Or if the V280 is not your thing pay Bell to militarize the 525. Develop for replacement of the 412 in Canada and the EH101, S92, and NH90. That I would do right now. But that would some will and political daring.
All the things above have some chance at volume and international sales.
Tube artillery never
Tanks never
Fighter jets, Cargo planes nope. Don't touch subs....shutter.
One last point the CDN government can't even bring themselves to buy a replacement for the 3 Twin Otters so they just going to upgrade 50 year old airframes. They could have just bought new ones from Viking/DHC before the line was stopped. Not one person would have said boo...
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