Why did Canada convert Bristol Britannias for anti-submarine work rather than buy Shackletons?
Short answerDomestic work supported jobs and, more importantly, the industrial skills needed to sustain an aerospace sector.
NotesDomestic conversion preserved and developed the skills required for a functioning aerospace industry. Buying a ready-made foreign patrol aircraft might have met the immediate operational need with less local work. Conversion, however, kept engineers and manufacturers engaged with a demanding anti-submarine aviation project. The procurement decision therefore had a strategic industrial purpose beyond jobs or the immediate airframe.