{"id":36264,"date":"2026-05-07T21:50:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/36264\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T21:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:50:08","slug":"canada-can-still-order-88-new-most-advanced-fighter-jets-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/36264\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Can Still Order 88 New Most Advanced Fighter Jets in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

FORT WORTH- Canada\u2019s federal government is continuing its review of the 88 jet Lockheed Martin F-35A<\/a> purchase, with Defense Minister David McGuinty confirming that aircraft from other countries remain under active consideration.<\/p>\n

The review, ordered by Prime Minister Mark Carney from Ottawa (YOW) in early 2025, has stretched well past its original September 2024 completion target.<\/p>\n

Despite persistent arm-twisting from Washington (DCA), including public threats that Canada could be kicked out of NORAD if the deal is shelved, Ottawa has refused to commit to a fresh timeline.<\/p>\n

France\u2019s Dassault Rafale<\/a>, Sweden\u2019s Saab Gripen-E\/F, and Airbus\u2019s Eurofighter Typhoon have emerged as the European challengers for a potential split fleet.<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto: Airman 1st Class Alexander Cook, Wikimedia<\/p>\n

Carney Government Stretches F-35 Review Past Deadline<\/p>\n

Speaking before the House of Commons Defense committee on April 27, McGuinty said the review of the F-35<\/a> purchase is continuing and that Ottawa is taking the necessary time to study the fighter fleet question very closely.<\/p>\n

He confirmed that the question of jets from other countries is on the table and forms part of the review.<\/p>\n

When asked directly whether the review is being delayed because the Canadian government is worried about the reaction of US President Donald Trump<\/a>, McGuinty said the extended timeline shows Canadians the government is being responsible.<\/p>\n

He added that the F-35 question remains under review, the Prime Minister is engaged, he himself is very engaged, and colleagues in the emerging Defense Investment Agency are engaged.<\/p>\n

McGuinty also said it is now a question of examining all of the industrial benefits, with the federal government looking at everything to make sure the decision is correct.<\/p>\n

He declined to set a new deadline for the review, which was originally meant to conclude by September last year.<\/p>\n

In January 2023, Canada signed a CAD 19 billion (US$14.2 billion) contract with Lockheed Martin for 88 F-35A fighters, with deliveries scheduled across four tranches through 2032.<\/p>\n

The aircraft are intended to replace the aging CF-18 Hornets operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).<\/p>\n

Auditor General Karen Hogan\u2019s recent report has revised the projected cost upward to CAD 27.7 billion.<\/p>\n

The audit found that an additional CAD 5.5 billion will be required for weapons and critical infrastructure, including operational bases, and flagged a shortage of trained pilots as a further challenge.<\/p>\n

A 2023 Parliamentary Budget Office report had earlier pegged the 45-year life-cycle cost of the fleet at roughly US$73.9 billion.<\/p>\n

The figure covers planning, development, use, maintenance, repair, and disposal of the aircraft.<\/p>\n

So far, 16 jets have been paid for and are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2026. Carney has confirmed the review applies only to the remaining 72 aircraft, which form the contested portion of the order.<\/p>\n

\"Canada'sPhoto: Dassault Aviation<\/p>\n

European Rivals Pitch Local Manufacturing<\/p>\n

Saab has offered to establish a Gripen production hub on Canadian soil under a Made-in-Canada proposal that includes full local manufacturing.<\/p>\n

The Swedish company is also offering full technology transfer, source code access for mission systems, sovereign data control, and independent upgrade and maintenance rights.<\/p>\n

Dassault Aviation<\/a> has pitched the Rafale, while Airbus has put forward the Eurofighter Typhoon.<\/p>\n

All three 4.5-generation jets are positioned as alternatives that would deliver greater industrial benefits than continued F-35 procurement.<\/p>\n

The local manufacturing component has made Saab\u2019s pitch particularly attractive to Canadian policymakers focused on aerospace jobs, supply chain sovereignty, and independent operational control of mission-critical software.<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto: Italy Air Force<\/p>\n

NORAD and Trade Ties Limit Canada\u2019s Real Options<\/p>\n

The United States supplied nearly one-third of Canada\u2019s arms imports between 2021 and 2025, according to SIPRI data.<\/p>\n

The two nations co-founded NATO<\/a>, share Five Eyes intelligence with the UK, Australia<\/a>, and New Zealand, and operate NORAD as a binational defense command for North American airspace and maritime approaches.<\/p>\n

Canada is also planning to join the Golden Dome project, Trump\u2019s ambitious ground- and space-based missile defense system.<\/p>\n

US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, speaking to a Canadian podcaster in August, described the ongoing F-35 review as an irritant that makes it harder to reach a trade agreement.<\/p>\n

Bilateral Canada-US trade reached US$720 billion, accounting for between 65 and 70 percent of all Canadian trade.<\/p>\n

Canadian exports to the US stand at US$403 to 420 billion, representing 72 to 76 percent of total exports, while imports from the US total US$262 billion, or 59 percent of all imports.<\/p>\n

Canadian trade with the United States is therefore more than double its trade with all other countries combined.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: USAF<\/p>\n

Defense Experts on Canada F-35 Review<\/p>\n

Reported by Eurasian Times<\/a>, several analysts have characterized the so-called internal review as theatrics wrapped as strategy.<\/p>\n

Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow for Airpower and Technology at the Royal United Services Institute, said he suspects Canada will find there are no good alternatives to proceeding with the F-35 procurement as planned, and that the fighter force is unable to wait.<\/p>\n

Retired Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin, former commander of the RCAF, was blunt in his assessment, stating there is no reason to cancel and that Canada should just buy it.<\/p>\n

Andrew Latham, Senior Washington Fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, argued in a February 2025 article that the public review language is a pretense while actual spending and procurement momentum show Canada is already going all in on the F-35.<\/p>\n

Latham wrote that Canada can keep pretending it is still at the start of the decision tree, but the purchase of long-lead parts suggests it knows better.<\/p>\n

He also notes that deep NORAD integration would make introducing any other jet operationally complicated, with sensor fusion and real-time data sharing identified as the most serious sticking points.<\/p>\n

Writing in CBC, senior defense reporter Murray Brewster suggested it will be challenging to sell the eventual decision as purely defense-driven.<\/p>\n

Brewster noted that the Liberal government, senior officials, and even the chief of the defense staff have tried to downplay the political aspect, but that such reviews are usually done quietly behind the scenes rather than blasted all over the airwaves.<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto: Airman 1st Class Dominic Tyler 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. | Wikimedia Commons
\nhttps:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:US_Danish_Dutch_F-35A.jpg<\/p>\n

RCAF Modernization Pressure Adds to Calculus<\/p>\n

The Canadian Air Force is in dire need of modernization, and the F-35 is widely regarded as one of the most lethal strike fighters in the world.<\/p>\n

The CF-18 fleet is aging rapidly, and any major delay or cancellation would extend the capability gap further.<\/p>\n

If Ottawa scuttles the deal, it could face blowback across a host of files including a trade agreement, joint military exercises, and intelligence sharing.<\/p>\n

The total cost to Canadian taxpayers of completing the F-35 purchase as planned remains under US$50 billion, a figure many analysts contrast against the scale of the broader Canada-US relationship.<\/p>\n

\"ItalyPhoto: US Air Force in Europe<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/p>\n

The combination of trade exposure, NORAD obligations, sunk costs on the first 16 aircraft, and operational urgency makes a full cancellation highly improbable.<\/p>\n

The remaining open question is whether Ottawa is seriously reviewing the F-35 deal or whether Canada is only bluffing to assuage national sentiments while procurement momentum quietly locks in the original purchase.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT WORTH- Canada\u2019s federal government is continuing its review of the 88 jet Lockheed Martin F-35A purchase, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[15848,17,2080,15849,15850,11813,15851,15852],"class_list":{"0":"post-36264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-air-force","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-f-35","11":"tag-f-35-joint-strike-fighter","12":"tag-f-35-stealth-fighter-jet","13":"tag-lockheed-martin","14":"tag-lockheed-martin-f-35-lightning-ii","15":"tag-usaf"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}