| Paul David Manson | |
|---|---|
Manson in 1987 |
|
| Born | August 20, 1934 Trail, British Columbia |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1952-1989 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 440 Sqn., 434 Sqn., 441 Sqn. |
| Commands held | 441 Sqn., 1 Canadian Air Group, Air Command, Canadian Forces Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of Military Merit Canadian Forces Decoration |
| Other work | chairman of Lockheed Martin Canada |
Paul David Manson, OC, CMM, CD (born August 20, 1934 in Trail, British Columbia) is a retired Canadian general, fighter pilot, and businessman.
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He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario in 1956, student # 3528.
Manson joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1952 and after several years of flying training he received his wings in 1957. As a junior officer he served as a fighter pilot in Germany and Canada.
He was Chief of the Air Command from 1983 to 1985[1] and from 1986 to 1989, he was the Chief of the Defence Staff. He was the chairman of Lockheed Martin Canada.
In 1981, he was made a Commander of the Order of Military Merit. In 2002, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for being "an exemplary and inspirational military leader, business executive and volunteer" and for having "served his country with honour and distinction". [1] He was a recipient of the Vimy Award, which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of our nation and the preservation of our democratic values.[2] In 2009, Manson was added to the wall of honour at the Royal Military College of Canada. [3]
In January 2011 Manson, along with retired Lieutenant-General Angus Watt, wrote a vigorous defence of Canada's proposed purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for the media, entitled The truth about those jets. In the article Manson indicated that he was a former Chief of Defence Staff but neglected to mention his former chairmanship of Lockheed Martin Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, the F-35's manufacturer. Steven Staples, President of the Rideau Institute, in pointing this relationship out said "While this fact in no way disqualifies the generals from sharing their opinion, it is an important truth about the F-35 debate that the stealth fighters' strongest backers are the military and the aerospace companies. In fact, it's getting awfully hard to tell them apart."[4][5]
In April 2011 the Ottawa Citizen published a letter written by Manson in which he clarifies that he was Chairman of Lockheed Martin in 1996-1997 as the result of the company's acquisition of Loral Canada.[6]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kenneth Lewis |
Commander, Canadian Forces Air Command 1983–1985 |
Succeeded by Donald Malcolm McNaughton |
| Preceded by Gérard Charles Édouard Thériault |
Chief of the Defence Staff 1986-1989 |
Succeeded by John de Chastelain |
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