Photo: The #StopLockheedMartin day of action outside the company’s head office in Ottawa on April 22, 2022.

Reuters reports: “The defense contractor said it expected a profit of $26.60 to $26.90 per share in 2023.”

That article also notes: “Lockheed forecast 2023 revenue between $65 billion and $66 billion, compared with market estimates of $65.74 billion.”

It also reports: “[Lockheed Martin] reported fourth-quarter net sales of $18.99 billion, above expectations of $18.27 billion.”

Overall, Lockheed Martin notes: “Net sales in 2022 were $66.0 billion, compared to $67.0 billion in 2021. Net earnings in 2022 were $5.7 billion, or $21.66 per share, compared to $6.3 billion, or $22.76 per share, in 2021.”

Investopedia explains: “The bottom line shows how much a company has earned after subtracting all of its expenses. This measure can be referred to as net profit, net earnings, or net income.”

The Ottawa Citizen also reports: “The parliamentary budget officer will examine the Liberal government’s decision to buy the U.S.-built [Lockheed Martin] F-35 stealth fighter and has now requested information about the deal from National Defence.”

That article further notes that Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux has sent a letter to Defence Minister Anita Anand asking for information, including a copy of the contract signed with the U.S. government to provide the F-35, no later than February 13.

That contract may help to understand how Canada has helped Lockheed Martin’s profit levels with its $19 billion purchase of 88 F-35s.

Photo: The #CancelCANSEC protest on June 1, 2022. The CANSEC arms show, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, will be taking place again this year from May 31-June 1.

Over 220 global organizations are calling for a complete cancellation of the F-35 program. For more on this, click on this Ground the F-35 webpage.

Photo: Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Henry Lewis. Photo by Lindsay Newman/980 CJME.

Indigenous leaders are calling on the Saskatchewan government to stop a planned sell-off and lease of Crown Lands on January 31.

The Regina Leader-Post reports: “Indigenous leaders are repeating calls to the provincial government to stop the sale and auction of leases for Crown land as leaders say the government is failing in its duty to consult during the process.”

The article continues: “Representatives from Onion Lake, Ochapowace Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation and other Nations filled a conference room [at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina], standing in support of the message offered by leaders.”

“[Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Henry] Lewis, to the agreement of the crowd gathered, urged the provincial government to halt an impending auction of a Crown land lease that would affect Onion Lake, set to begin on Jan. 31.”

The provincial government maintains that the “lease auction remains scheduled for February, 2023.”

CKRM further specifies: “On January 31, the Ministry of Agriculture is set to host an online auction to lease Crown land for agriculture purposes. The highest bidder will receive parcels of the land for up to 33 years.”

In that article, Chief Lewis says: “The loss of use due to Crown Land leases that are up to 33 years result in the unjustifiable infringement of our Treaty Rights to meaningfully hunt, trap, fish, harvest, and gather on our traditional territories.”

And Terri Quinney, the Duty to Consult co-ordinator with the Onion Lake Cree Nation, has stated: “This is a direct infringement on our Treaty rights and next steps we have no choice but to go legal. This is a real challenge for us. We’re not backing down on this.”

Photo: Terri Quinney, the duty-to-consult co-ordinator for Onion Lake Cree Nation. Photo by Kirk Fraser/CBC.

92.9 The Bull also reports: “The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is also against selling and leasing Crown Lands. Vice Chief Heather Bear says the selling and leasing of our lands cannot continue and that’s why the Nations in this province are in litigation about this, because it ignores First Nations’ rights and is inconsistent with Treaties and the Treaty relationship.”

On Twitter, Janice Makokis, an Indigenous legal scholar and Board member of the Yellowhead Institute, has tweeted: “ I’m not sure how SK thinks they can override Treaty rights and bypass any consultation on this.”

The provincial NDP statement on this highlights: “The Official Opposition NDP reiterates its call for the Government of Saskatchewan to stop the sell-off and lease of Crown Lands, codify the Duty to Consult framework in legislation and stop the displacement of Indigenous peoples from their traditional gathering territories.”

We continue to follow this.

Photo: US Marine Corps.

The U.S. weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin has highlighted: “The F-35 carries weapons internally in stealth configuration, or externally in permissible environments with greater than 18,000 pounds of total ordinance.”

The company has also noted: “All variants of the F-35 will carry JASSM or LRASM, providing increased reach, lethality and survivability against heavily-protected, strategic targets and increasing the ability to deter near-peer adversaries.”

Both the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) have immense destructive capabilities.

It has also been reported by Business Insider that: “All three F-35 variants are equipped, in one configuration or another, with a 25 mm GAU-22/A four-barrel Gatling gun, which is capable of firing over 3,000 rounds a minute.”

How much will we pay for this “payload”?

We can look to Finland for some clues on this cost.

On February 11, 2022, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported: “Finland finalized its $9.4 billion purchase of 64 Lockheed Martin F-35s and support services.”

That article adds: “The acquisition will be managed through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. …A separate letter of acceptance will be signed later this year for the provision of Sidewinder and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles to equip the fighters…”

Aviacionline Defensa has also reported: “The cost of the multi-role fighters is €4.7 billion and that of the AMRAAM and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles is €754.6 million (initial armament package). …In addition, EUR 823.8 million is set aside for the final optimized armament package and for controlling future modifications to the contract. Some of the armament will be procured at a later date, depending on the aircraft delivery schedule.”

If Finland is spending €754.6 million (CAD $1.095 billion) for its initial armament package and setting aside €823.8 million (CAD $1.195 billion) for an optimized armament package for its 64 F-35s, how much will Canada be spending for its 88 F-35s?

$1 billion for missiles, radar and equipment for CF-18s

A recent purchase by Canada for its CF-18s may also help give us a sense of the cost.

In June 2020, Ottawa Citizen journalist David Pugliese reported: “The U.S. State Department approved the proposed sale to Canada for the 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles, radars and other various equipment for an estimated cost of $862.3 million U.S. ($1.1 billion Canadian).”

While we don’t know how much of the $1.1 billion was spent on missiles, we can say with some certainty that if Canada is buying 88 F-35s, it will want more than 50 missiles to equip those planes and that these costs should be publicly accounted for.

PBO to calculate the costs

Now, Pugliese also reports: “The parliamentary budget officer will examine the Liberal government’s decision to buy the U.S.-built F-35 stealth fighter and has now requested information about the deal from National Defence.”

“PBO Yves Giroux sent a letter to Defence Minister Anita Anand on Jan. 16 outlining the data he is requesting from her department. ‘In order to provide the analysis to parliamentarians in a timely manner, I ask the information be provided to my office no later than February 13, 2023,’ Giroux noted in his request.”

“The request includes the financial risk analysis prepared for the aircraft procurement, planned flying hours for the F-35 fleet, details about the projected operating costs, a copy of the agreement signed with the U.S. government to provide the F-35 and an annual summary of what Canada spent on the F-35 development.”

Pugliese adds: “In 2010 and 2011, National Defence officials fought PBO efforts to obtain information about the proposed F-35 purchase, withholding key data from the watchdog office. Then-PBO Kevin Page noted it appeared National Defence kept two sets of books on F-35 cost figures, one a low-ball figure for public consumption and another the real costs of the project. Those efforts misled Parliament, he added.”

Past calculations by DND on armaments were also “misleading”

In his report The Plane That Ate the Canadian Military Life-Cycle Cost of F-35 Fleet Could Reach $126 Billion (April 2014), Michael Byers wrote:

“Initially, DND anticipated spending $270–300 million on weapons and bombs to equip a fleet of F-35s. But in 2013, that amount was reduced to $52 million, with the DND Update stating:

Weapons currently in the Canadian Armed Forces inventory that can be employed on the F-35A fleet will be retained. In the case of the F-35A, the project acquisition cost estimate provides for the acquisition of an initial stock of gun ammunition and countermeasures (e.g., flares), as the existing stock of CF-18 gun ammunition and flares are incompatible with the F-35A. Over the life cycle of the replacement fleet, the acquisition of newer weapons will be considered and funded as separate projects.

The approach taken in the DND Update is misleading. Any weapons that foreseeably need to be acquired for the F-35s during their operational lifespan should be included within the total life-cycle cost of the fleet rather than treated as separate projects. For this reason, this report uses the low end of DND’s initial estimate for weapons ($270 million), which, after deducting the current estimate of $52 million, results in the addition of $218 million.”

Timeline and questions

It is believed that Canada had already signed a contract to purchase 88 F-35s when Defence Minister Anand announced the deal on January 9.

That will be confirmed if the PBO receives, as it has requested, the copy of the agreement signed with the U.S. government to provide the F-35 no later than February 13.

Given the example of Finland, it’s possible that Canada has or will sign a separate agreement for the bombs, missiles and bullets for the F-35.

Greater transparency on this question is needed.

We look forward to the PBO report this Spring.

The Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) blockade against logging on Pacheedaht and Ditidaht territories. Photo by Mike Graeme.

The CBC reports: “The [Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP] is weighing its options after receiving nearly 500 formal complaints about a unit tasked with policing resistance to major resource extraction projects in British Columbia.”

The article adds: “More than 100 grievances accepted for investigation contain allegations of excessive force, illegal tactics, unprofessional behaviour, racism, discrimination and charter violations by the force’s Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG).”

On August 17, 2022, the Times Colonist reported: “Keith Cherry has filed a seven-page complaint on behalf of the Rainforest Flying Squad, Elders for Ancient Trees, Legal Observers Victoria and the Social Environmental Alliance with the [CRCC].”

In a statement last week, the CRCC says: “The CRCC is aware of the systemic issues raised by many of these complaints and is exploring options to determine how best to address these issues within our mandate.”

As CBC has explained: “[The CRCC] receives complaints, refers them to the Mounties for investigation, then reviews those investigations if complainants aren’t satisfied.”

CBC adds: “The CRCC offered the statement in response to a comment from Chief Supt. John Brewer, the Mountie in charge of the C-IRG, who told CBC News the watchdog is happy with how his unit investigates complaints. [Brewer] suggested the misconduct allegations often come from activists upset about being arrested or citizens who find the use of force, authorized by court-ordered injunctions, unpleasant.”

Concerns with CRCC process

In January 2022, APTN reported: “A federal judge says the RCMP Commissioner must respond to public complaints within six months of receiving them after a court challenge was launched over delays coming from the top of the national policing agency.”

The issue has been that the CRCC cannot make final findings and recommendations on a complaint until the RCMP commissioner respond to their interim report.

For instance, the CBC has reported: “In early 2014, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) first lodged a complaint with the [CRCC] alleging Mounties were spying on Indigenous and environmental protesters opposed to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.”

That article adds: “There is no statutory timeline the RCMP must follow in responding to CRCC interim reports.”

In this case, the CRCC launched its investigation in 2014 and completed its interim report in June 2017. The RCMP commissioner did not respond to the interim report until November 2020, more than three years later. The CRCC published its final report in December 2020 concluding that the RCMP’s monitoring of Northern Gateway pipeline protesters in 2012 and 2013 was for the most part reasonable.

Furthermore, the CBC has also reported: “If the CRCC concludes a finding of wrongdoing is founded, it can make recommendations to the RCMP, although they are not binding. …The RCMP itself — not the CRCC — decides whether the recommendations are logged as completed.”

Calls to abolish the RCMP and C-IRG

On November 23, 2021, Wet’suwet’en land defender Sleydo’ emerged from four days in police custody following the RCMP raid on her territory that enabled the continued construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline without free, prior and informed consent.

She said: “C-IRG and the RCMP need to be abolished. Anybody who is not into prison abolition should be after this experience that we’ve had.”

A year later, on November 24, 2022, the BC Federation of Labour unanimously passed a resolution calling for the C-IRG to be disbanded.

We continue to follow this.

Further reading: As the RCMP prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary this year, Indigenous land defenders call for it to be abolished (January 3, 2023)

Photo from Unicorn Riot.

A 26-year-old forest defender named Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran has been killed by Georgia police southeast of Atlanta.

Truthout reports: “An activist was shot and killed by police on Wednesday [January 18] during a violent raid of the protest camp and community gathering space that has blocked construction of an enormous police training facility known as ‘Cop City’ on roughly 100 acres of public forest.”

Their article adds: “The Georgia Bureau of Investigation initially said a suspect was shot and killed after allegedly firing a gun and injuring a Georgia state trooper during the raid, but fellow protesters and community activists doubt the official narrative and are calling on journalists and legal observers to investigate.”

Common Dreams adds: “Police accountability advocates on Thursday [January 19] called for an independent investigation after an activist was shot and killed during a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement raid on a forest encampment blocking the construction of a massive police training center just outside Atlanta popularly known as Cop City.”

Jeff Ordower, North America director at the climate action group 350.org, says: “With heavy hearts, we stand with the Atlanta Forest Defenders and all of those who defend the land, the water, and the planet.”

Ordower adds: “Tortuguita’s ‘crime’ was defending a forest in the heart of Atlanta—yet police moved in full force to evict the encampment, using their usual litany of brutal tactics. As we’ve seen all too often with police brutality, we can expect the usual false claims of ‘self-defense,’ coupled with an attempt to smear the victim and movement. Our movement will continue to stand up for intersectional justice—for the people and the planet.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reports: “At least 13 people [have now been] accused of domestic terrorism — weighty charges that carry possible sentences of 35 years in prison — in connection with protests against the Atlanta training center and occupation of the proposed site.”

Organizer-writer-lawyer Kamau Franklin, the founder of the Atlanta-based organization Community Movement Builders, has explained: “The Atlanta Police Foundation, the Atlanta Police Department and the City of Atlanta plan to destroy nearly 100 acres of forest to erect a domestic version of a military base in the heart of a working-class Black community.”

“The plans for this ‘Cop City’ include military-grade training facilities, a mock city to practice urban warfare, explosives testing areas, dozens of shooting ranges and a Black Hawk helicopter landing pad. This police training facility for the Atlanta police is a prototype of militarized police centers in the country.”

He further notes: “The idea of ‘Cop City’ came after the uprisings in 2020 when the police-perpetrated murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and here in Atlanta, Rashad Brooks, began a new call for defunding and/or abolishing the police.”

For more on this, you can watch today’s Democracy Now! interview with Franklin at Atlanta Police Kill Forest Defender at Protest Encampment Near Proposed “Cop City” Training Center.

You can also find more on Defend the Atlanta Forest on Twitter.