Queen’s University defence expert Richard Shimooka is available to discuss any issues associated with Canada’s F-35 fighter jet controversy.

Mr. Shimooka, a research fellow with the Defence Management Studies program at Queen’s, initiated a study three years on the F-35 procurement three years ago and hopes to have it published later this summer.

“Political rhetoric has muddied the facts surrounding another procurement program. Like the EH-101 helicopter program in the early 1990s, the F-35 has been characterized as being boondoggle and ill-suited for Canadian needs. Yet data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and U.S. budget documents suggests the unit costs of the F-35 variant Canada is interested in will only be about 10 per cent higher than previous Canadian estimates,” says Mr. Shimooka, who has an op-ed on Canada’s F-35 procurement in Thursday’s Ottawa Citizen.

Please note Mr. Shimooka is based in Vancouver and only available for phone interviews.

To arrange an interview, please contact communication officers Michael Onesi (613.533.6000 ext. 77513 or michael.onesi@queensu.ca) or Anne Craig (613-533-2877or anne.craig.queensu.ca) at Queen’s University News and Media Services Department in Kingston, Ont., Canada.

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