Stephen Fuhr was mocked for opposing the purchase of F-35s. Now he's in charge of Canada's defence procurement
Stephen Fuhr, a former CF-18 pilot who previously opposed the F-35 fighter jet purchase, now leads Canada's Defence Investment Agency. His appointment has sparked tension with the Royal Canadian Air Force due to his past stance on military procurement.
Why it matters
The appointment highlights the complex relationship between political oversight and military procurement in national defense strategy.
He'd been ordered to produce detailed attack maps, but his abstract scribbles earned him a call sign inspired by the cubist master, according to former military officials.
Today, the 57-year-old holds a more serious title: Canada's secretary of state for defence procurement.
In this role, he leads the Defence Investment Agency, an organization created last year by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to speed up the procurement of tens of billions of dollars worth of military acquisitions.
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It's been a quick rise for the former CF-18 pilot who, after retiring from the Armed Forces in 2009, drew mockery from members of the military community by vigorously opposing the purchase of American F-35 aircraft.
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