OTTAWA - The sale of a heavily subsidized Canadian high-tech space company to a U.S. weapons maker is under government review, CTV News reported.

Sources who asked not to be identified told the broadcaster Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice ordered a 30-day review of the proposed $1.3 billion sale of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates of Richmond, British Columbia, to Alliant Techsystems, based in Minnesota.

MDA is the manufacturer of the robotic Canadarm used to perform space maintenance, as well as the Radarsat-2 satellite.

Conservative Member of Parliament from Calgary, Alberta, Art Hanger was vocal Thursday in his opposition to the sale, the broadcaster said.

"It is a waste of your money and a betrayal of the public interest," Hanger said. "It's about time Canada stop playing the nice guy at the expense of our own security and sovereignty -- not to mention our own research and development capacity."

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