Canada decided to purchase in 2023
from 88
Lockheed Martin
F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for a good 18 billion euros to replace its outdated
Boeing
CF-18 Hornets to replace them. However, in view of the increasingly strained relations with the USA, the new Prime Minister Mark Carney is now considering alternatives to the F-35.
US President Donald Trump exacerbated tensions by imposing tariffs, questioning the Great Lakes border and publicly expressing his desire to make Canada the 51st state of the USA. He also condescendingly referred to Carney’s predecessor as “governor”.
Carney noted that binding financing commitments have so far only been made for the first 16 F-35 aircraft, deliveries of which are scheduled to begin next year.
At a press conference in London, he explained that it would make sense to examine whether an alternative fighter aircraft could be procured once these existing F-35 obligations have been fulfilled. So far, there are only options for the remaining 72 aircraft.
“Given the geopolitical environment, the alternatives available, the need for value for money and the opportunity to produce significant quantities of our own fighter aircraft in Canada – instead of transferring about 80 cents of every dollar invested to the U.S. as has been the case to date – it is prudent and in Canada’s interest to examine these options carefully,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
The runner-up in the selection process for Canada’s new fighter aircraft was the Gripen E from
Saab
. The Swedish manufacturer had even offered to manufacture the aircraft in Canada.
The two other applicants, the
Eurofighter Typhoon consortium
and Dassault with the Rafale, had already withdrawn from the Canadian selection process before the final decision was made.
Prime Minister Carney stated that Ottawa would examine whether the purchase of European or British military equipment could bring Canada greater industrial advantages.
“To put it bluntly, this was one of the conversations I had both in Paris and in the UK,” he said.
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