Although the Trudeau government launched its long term plan for modernizing the military last week, more immediate realities are tugging for attention on the Liberals’ list of defence priorities. The government continues to grapple with two critical, short-term questions: what to do about “interim” fighter jets, and whether to take on a new role in Afghanistan? The Canadian Press has learned that Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan met with the head of Lockheed Martin, the U.S. defence giant behind the F-35 stealth fighter, in Singapore earlier this month. Word of Sajjan’s meeting with Lockheed president Marilyn Hewson come as the minister told CTV’s Question Period that the government is looking at “different options” for addressing a critical shortage of fighter jets. Meanwhile, Sajjan’s office said Sunday that NATO has asked Canada to send police officers to Afghanistan to help train the war-torn country’s beleaguered security forces.

Source: National Post June 12, 2017 03:33 UTC