F-35 and Canada. How about a little economic blackmail?

Thanks for the article Andrew.

Via CTVNews.

Canada's aerospace industry could lose about $10.5 billion worth of contracts over several decades if the federal government ultimately decides not to purchase the controversial F-35 Stealth Fighter, says a senior executive at Lockheed Martin.
Orlando Carvalho, executive vice-president of the U.S. defence giant, says Lockheed will honour $500 million worth of business already awarded to Canadian partners but that other work would be in jeopardy without a Canadian jet order.
"If in fact the Canadian government were to decide not to select the F-35 we will certainly honour the contracts that we have here with the Canadian industry but our approach in the future would be to try to do business with the industries that are in the countries that are buying the airplane," he said in an interview after officially opening its new engine overhaul facility in Montreal.

Economic blackmail.

Some will call it the price of doing business, but make no mistake about it.  This is a threat being levied at the Canadian Govt and its people.

This alone should cause Canada to reject the F-35.

But this points to a larger issue.  Why would the Pentagon allow contracts to be awarded not on the basis of getting the best manufacturing practices AND cheapest price possible?  It is as I've suspected.  A business scheme designed to get countries into the program.  Not because the F-35 meets the needs of those buying it, but because it is tied to their economies.  

Did Lockheed just expose another reason why this plane costs so damn much?