Canada is mightily frustrated with the United States. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state grated on the Canadians. The extra tariffs haven’t helped. Canada will have an election for prime minister soon, and candidates are trying to outdo themselves to see which seeker of the throne can be more patriotic with the ability to stand up to the United States with greater confidence. That means Ottawa-Washington defense ties could be in danger.
F-35 American ‘Fighter Plane Diplomacy’ Struggling with Canada
This brings us to what I call “fighter plane diplomacy.” The Americans have been successful in selling the F-35 Lightning II overseas to build higher levels of international cooperation and goodwill. There are 19 countries that are currently flying the Joint Strike Fighter. This has strengthened relations with the United States and partner nations as they become accustomed to operating such an advanced fifth-generation fighter.
But will this diplomatic gambit continue to work with Canada? There is a question about how much of a spell the F-35 has over the Canadians and if fighter plane diplomacy can work its magic again north of the border.
Large F-35 Deal in Danger
Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused the current deal with the Americans, who want to quickly cement the offer of 88 F-35s to Canada for $19 billion. So far, Canada has only agreed to buy the first batch of 16 fighters.
Canadians Need More Time to Review F-35 Agreement
Carney has placed the entire deal into review status, which he claims will be conducted speedily by his defense forces. However, the actual review process has not even started, and this is putting the whole agreement into jeopardy. What are the Canadians going to do about this huge F-35 order?
The liberal leader is being vague and coy about what will happen next. “That instruction will be carried out,” Carney told journalists at a campaign stop in the Montreal suburbs April 15. “We’re in caretaker mode as a government. Our expectation of the civil service is that they are proceeding on these fronts. We’ll do it as rapidly as possible, as necessary.”
A government spokesperson offered no other clues other than to “establish the scope of the review.” Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre said if elected, his administration would also review the contract and to make sure Canada’s “independence and sovereignty” is kept in mind.
This Is Not Looking Good for the F-35 Sale to Canada
This does not look good for the F-35 deal, as neither candidate is certain what the future holds. If we assume that Canada needs a fighter jet to modernize its fleet, the country’s military may be looking at other models besides the F-35.
Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen is one option. The Gripen is probably the best fighter you have never heard of. It is a single-engine multirole warbird that has surprising speed and agility. However, it is not stealthy like the F-35. The Czech Republic and Hungary fly it. South Africa and Thailand have also ordered it, and Colombia and Portugal are evaluating it, so it is popular on the export market. Saab is currently negotiating with the Canadians for a Gripen sale.
South Korea Has New-Found Optimism About its New Fighter Jet
The South Koreans are in the background licking their chops and hoping the Canadians will give them a shot at a fighter deal. South Korea has the next-generation KF-21 Boramae (Hawk), which could be considered a less expensive alternative to the F-35. However, the KF-21 program is nowhere near the maturity of the Lightning II. But South Korea is in the process of working the “kinks” out of its new fighter program. The United Arab Emirates is interested in being a KF-21 partner. The UAE may even take part in a test flight of a KF-21 prototype soon.
South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae is entering mass production, positioning KAI as a global defense leader. With Poland and other buyers interested, can it challenge the F-35 in export markets?
F-35 Doomed in Canada? Not Exactly
So, Canada has options. The Gripen would be the lead airplane to take the place of the F-35, but the South Koreans could have an interest from Canada down the road.
One issue that the Canadians have is interoperability with their new airplanes. If they accept the first batch of F-35s and then purchase Gripens or the KF-21 in the future, they will need a completely new type of logistical infrastructure to support the different aircraft. The idea behind the F-35 is that it would give support to the aircraft from its home in Fort Worth, Texas. This certainty is what makes U.S. fighter plane diplomacy with the United States so alluring. With the Gripen, Canada would then have to instead depend on the Swedes to help train pilots and provide maintenance and spare parts support. Same with South Korea.
It may be easier logistically to buy all of the F-35s. However, that would mean the Canadians would depend even more on the United States, which is not popular politically now. Thus, Carney and Poilievre have difficult military decisions to make, and they will put the decision off until after the election.
No one wants to say the Great White North has a perfect relationship with the United States. Campaigning on the importance of Canadian nationalism, patriotism, and sovereignty is what this election will be about. “Canada is not for sale,” as the slogan goes.
It is difficult to predict what will happen. The F-35 is a better airplane. The Gripen is not bad either, and the KF-21 is intriguing. There is an election campaign centered on Canadian patriotism and the unpopularity of the United States. Both politicians are unsure about the F-35. However, having two different kinds of fighters will be challenging due to the need for simultaneous maintenance and training support from both Sweden and the United States.
Stay tuned. We know that Lockheed Martin is trying to read the tea leaves to see if Canada will fulfill that big order, while Saab continues to negotiate with the South Koreans, currently in third place. This may take some time to sort out.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
Michael
April 17, 2025 at 1:46 pm
” The F-35 is a better airplane. ”
Not in real life. Once again, a plane on the ground is a liability, not a threat.
” With the Gripen, Canada would then have to instead depend on the Swedes to help train pilots and provide maintenance and spare parts support. Same with South Korea.”
And of those three partners, one has proven themselves completely untrustworthy.
F35 is no longer a feasible alternative.
Lee Dilkie
April 18, 2025 at 12:26 pm
The problem with stealth is that detection technology negates it and in fairly short order. It becomes a very expensive arms race that ends up being status quo with every iteration.
As we can see in Ukraine, standoff weapons launched from well with inside your own side of the front line is the future.
With that in mind a versatile aircraft like the Saab Grippen makes more sense than the f-35.
James
April 18, 2025 at 1:42 pm
I really have to laugh when Canadians call the US unreliable. What have the Canadians done for the common defense of North America? They’ve spent nothing on defense or weapons in decades and their military has become a sad joke, unable to defend Canada,let alone actually deploy any meaningful forces anywhere. China could land troops in your northern provinces and you wouldn’t be able to stop them. So go buy the 4th generation Saab, nobody is depending on you to fight anyway.
John Bloss
April 19, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Despite Canada’s population being 1/8 that of the U.S., they have always done their part.
The Gripen JAS 39 is considered to be a 4.5 generation fighter and is quite impressive. The over the counter cost is about the same as the F-35, but the lifetime costs aren’t even close. The Gripen E cost per flight hour is estimated to be $8,000. The F-35 somewhere between $33,000 and $42,000, depending on the type and who you believe. In addition, Gripen is designed to operate out of remote locations and launch/recover on paved roads. A crew of six can turn, i.e., hot refuel and rearm, a Gripen in about 20 minutes.
These advantages plus the fact that they have rightly assumed, that under the current administration they can no longer rely on the U.S., seem to me differences worth considering for the Canadians.
The Canadians are not the only country engaged in this calculation. 80 years of mutual support now down the tubes. Despite Mr. Trump’s “big brain,” he fails to understand that having troops in Europe has been a tremendous strategic asset for the U.S. Instead, he is busy destroying the U.S. economy while making 2025 Mr. Putin’s best year ever.
Martin Ferguson
April 18, 2025 at 3:14 pm
What a laugh riot, a whole 88 planes, that’s really gonna tip the scales.They’ll fit in nicely with Canada’s entire military, Army, Navy, Air Force, less than 90,000. Trump’s right, they’re a joke and been taking advantage of the US for decades, while they spend their money on Social Welfare, time to pay the fiddler.
Umesh K Singh
April 18, 2025 at 8:12 pm
Afer US refused to support F-16’s elecronic warfare suite in Ukraine war, F16s became useless flying machines. This has scared all western allies in Europe, and Canada. Now US cannot be relied upon in a critical situation. Everybody is taking a pause and thinking about the strategic implications to their security needs.
philip horner
April 18, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Gee just today I read about Ukraine using F16 to inflict serious losses on Russia.
So Mr. Singh is just full of it.
James Robinson
April 18, 2025 at 10:59 pm
Canada has a limited Defense Budget. They are currently committed to their small initial agreed upon purchase of F35’s. If they buy a fleet of various additional aircraft such as Eurofighters,Gripen’s or KF 21’s they will have to have seperate parts logistics, different equipment (radars, armaments, etc) and pilot and maintenance personnel training for each different aircraft. Not exactly something that can be done on a shoestring budget. But perhaps worst of all, Canada originally sought to purchase F35’a to upgrade to a 5th Generation aircraft from their current 4th generation F/A 18’s. If they purchase those other aircraft they defeat that purpose as they too are 4th generation. So multiple aircraft, multiple logistics trails, multiple training pipelines for no real improvement in tactical capabilities. Strongly suggest they put their big boy pants on and quit acting like children because they were offended. The Russians and Chinese are pushing at the fringes of their northern Arctic Territories. Don’t ask your RCAF pilots to do their jobs defending Canada with inferior equipment.
Dennis Oneill
April 18, 2025 at 11:34 pm
The F35 Loses its “Stealth” the minute you strap bombs to it because the bombs are not stealth. It spends 70% of its time in maintenance. It has to have software upgrades from Lockhead in order to stay operational which can be denied at any time. Its 5 times more expensive to operate. No one knows what the thing will do the first time it actually takes combat damage. And its made by the country they are afraid might launch a military incursion to make them part of the United States which in thier book makes us an unreliable partner.
Why in hell would they still want to buy 88 F35s when they could buy 400 Jas-39 E/F Grippens which the Sweedens would let them build in Canada.
Steve
April 19, 2025 at 12:04 am
Shill for the American military. So non transparent….
Jack
April 19, 2025 at 1:40 am
No way the f35 is a good option for anyone. To comolicated. To expensive. And controlled by a another form of oligarg.. Europe offers good fighters with reliable systems and rhe rafaele and eurofighter beat the f35 in dogfights. Take your head out of your patriotic bwhind and look around please.
Patrick La Manna
April 19, 2025 at 2:00 am
Half of all Canadians want Canada to join the European Union. Strange then isn’t it that Canadians would become incensed by the suggestion made jokingly that Canada join the American Union? Strange since Canada is in North America not Europe; strange since Canadians with the exception of Quebecers share no common language with any EU population; strange since Canada has been at war with most of the countries in the EU but has always been at peace with the US, which in both world wars rallied to Canada’s side and which has by putting Canada under its protection in the post war era banished any possibility that Canada might suffer attack from abroad; and even stranger since the EU can’t even protect itself much less Canada.
When you’re going bankrupt that’s when you find out who your real friends are. And the United States is going bankrupt, which is why it has been forced to abandon its free trade policies. It’s the coincidence of US economic distress and the waves of anti-American sentiments sweeping Canada that reveal where Americans really stand with Canadians.
Maria
April 19, 2025 at 5:50 am
This Author is an American, and he dreams for America, which used to be good, gangerous place to live. But not anymore. One orange brainless and mindless so called person governs America now, and making it a more disgusting place. MAGA, fools
C. Driscoll
April 19, 2025 at 7:00 am
Hello dear Americans
As i can see in this article and also some comments, americans really dont understand the non US-world.
Forgive my bad spelling but i have renounced my US-Citizenship last year and just dont bother anymore.
First of all, theres information missing: portugal who is mentioned in this article also cancelled its f35 order.
Also in switzerland where i live 80% of the population (according to polls done before the orange man started his toll war) want to cancel the f35 order.
Americans have showed the whole free world that they (at least with this orange buffoon) are unreliable, unfriendly and not trustworthy. Also that your goals dont align with ours anymore and what we fought for in WW2 and have since defended together (yes, most of Europe, Canada, Australia, etc. were ALWAYS at your side in the trenches!) mean nothing to you anymore.
Its not always about having the best.
Wars are won with the heart, more than the newest technology.
And Principles are not for Sale.
Maybe americans never understood this and were just on the right side by pure luck. I dont know. My relatives who fought in WW2 for the US made a quite decent appearence. But what your country is doing now, is not what they fought for.
Your President has cost you alot of money and will do so much more in the near future.
In real democracies like switzerland we say: every country gets what they vote for.
Have fun fighting your enemys alone in future (according to vance you have been doing so since WW2 anyway)
We will be watching your decline.
Europe first
Michael
April 19, 2025 at 7:43 am
C. Driscoll: ” Hello dear Americans” FYI more than half the commentators here at 1945 are russians pretending to be Americans or Europeans.
James
April 19, 2025 at 9:36 am
Not even talking about the French Rafales. Which are better than gripped or k21.
Hubbard
April 19, 2025 at 9:45 am
What exactly are Canada’s goals ?
Some well articulated clarity is necessary. Otherwise there is just moronic whimpering, plus ingratiate display.
Darryl
April 19, 2025 at 10:51 am
South Korea and Sweden have not repeatedly threatened to annex Canada. F-35’s should not even be considered at this point.
Anthony Miles
April 19, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Gangster Trump made a great trade deal with Canada a few years back & blew it up.
Most people understand he is unreliable & has no boundaries.
It’s just not smart to move forward with buying anything that is made in America until they elect a sane President.
Ryan McGinnis
April 19, 2025 at 2:54 pm
The F35 is so expensive to fly and maintain that we will use it sparingly and our pilots won’t grt flight hours
The F35 stealth strengths can be helpful in a mixed fleet
The F35 cannot use or be based temporarily at our FOL locations in the artic, placing heavy reliance on tankers.
The F35 cannot leverage dispersed basing making our few large bases a single point of failure on day 1
The F35 is no longer a stealth aicraft the moment it uses radar or external stores.
The RCAF has to visually identify intercepts in air policing which is the vast majority of non training missions.
American foreign policy just took a dark turn and they cannot be relied on to maintain our aircraft.
This is a conservative garbage piece from a Lockheed Martin stooge.
Mark Zerafa
April 19, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Strange that the author didn’t mention Brazil operating the Gripen. Colombia is moving ahead with the Gripen purchase so ‘considering’ is not really accurate.
Canada has been a nation of substance over vanity. And the F-35 is, in many ways, a vanity warplane. How many missions really require stealth? If the Gripen is cheaper to operate, proven to work well even in improvised airfields in Sweden’s cold weather, then it is a viable option for Canada. Operating two types might still be cheaper than operating one hopelessly expensive machine.
Emim
April 19, 2025 at 6:15 pm
The f-35 is far from being a “better plane”. The only thing it does better is stealth. Which is a big ol nothing pie. No stealth with external bombs of fuel containers. Stealth only works well in certain angles. And it’s completely gone as soon as you’ve fired a missile. Plus, you’ll still show up on radar even in perfect condition. But with a very small cross section. But even you’re the size of a bird, no bird flies supersonic, so it pretty easy to figure out what’s really there. And on the few occasions you don’t show up, a awacs operator friend of mine likes to joke about the big hole of nothing going really fast is a dead give away that there just might be something there.
Terry G
April 19, 2025 at 6:46 pm
As a Canadian citizen l would like to purchase th F35’s that we’re legally obliged to buy and then resell them to another American ally who wants them. We take those funds along with the remainder of the budget and either buy fighter jets from Sweden or join the England, French and a third European country to design our own. And/or compare this alternative to the European fighter jets currently being manufactured. Stealth fighter jets may already be obsolete, we should focus more on drones and other unmanned aircraft or those using AI.
Krystalcane
April 20, 2025 at 12:26 am
You know what a disaster is you’re lucky to complete moron as president United States more than once. The fact that you idiots and I mean the majority of American voting idiots voted for this guy because his con man and he’s destroying the economy and you guys don’t seem to really notice that or the fact he’s doesn’t follow the Constitution anyway whatsoever shows up most of you people when things change should be shipped off to foreign countries yourselves because you have no idea what it’s like to be United States citizen you know they need to probably go away. Look how this guy’s screwed over thousands of vets and you guys say oh stand up for our veterans salute our veterans you guys don’t give a damn about our veterans at all.
MikeP
April 20, 2025 at 3:20 am
I find it hilarious that Canada feels offended with the tariffs when they haven’t had any heart burn over the 300% tariffs Canada has had on some US products for decades. And they act so surprised at Trump’s bombastic rhetoric. Were they all hiding behind the door the first time around?
David Boling
April 20, 2025 at 4:02 am
Canada has never kept its commitments to NATO. Canada imposes tariffs and other restrictions on American imports. (If tariffs were bad, then Canada would have unilaterally abolished theirs long ago; they have not done so). Canada believes their tariffs and trade restrictions are noble and sacrosanct. Canada believes that if the U.S. levels the playing field, then the U.S. is unreliable, untrustworthy, and evil. Canada threatened to cut off all electricity shipments to the U.S. (New York, Michigan, and Minnesota) in the dead of winter: read that as hospitals, nursing homes, the disabled, the homebound, etc…. Canada’s new caretaker PM made a bellicose speech about how the U.S. is no longer an economic nor security ally of Canada. Canada does not guarantee their subjects (they’re not citizens, but they are subjects) the freedom of speech or assembly.
The Canadian government, and its government controlled press propagandists, are the biggest bunch of hypocritical crybabies I’ve ever listened to in my whole life. When you don’t keep your commitments, don’t engage in equitable trade practices, threaten your security guarantor’s citizens with life threatening harm, and don’t grant your own residents with basic democratic freedoms, then you are not a serious partner to begin with.
It also doesn’t matter what plane you choose to buy. You’ll never buy a sufficient number of them, you’ll end up mothballing at least 1/3 of them (as you have done with the CF-18), and not having to fill your order will allow the massive backlog of F-35’s to fill other nations’ orders more timely. Go ahead and buy non-cutting edge technology for your armed forces; it’s what you always do. Oh, whine, cry, criticize, and complain some more; it’s really what you’re best at doing anyway.
J.T.
April 20, 2025 at 8:20 am
I think it’s hilarious that Canada is willing to settle for an inferior airframe because they don’t want to play ball with the Trump administration. The JAS 39 is an outdated airframe. It’s slower, less advanced, and has no stealth capabilities. The KF-21 isn’t even being manufactured yet and is basically a knock-off of American technology. I doubt the South Koreans even have the ability to manufacture the KF-21s on a large scale.
Don
April 20, 2025 at 11:29 am
O,Canada.Do whatever you want but keep in mind you only initially got offended when the U.S.said it would tariff you. You have been doing it to the U.S.for years so you are throwing a tantrum because your sweet deal maybe over. We are only a friend to you when you are making money off of it.
Craig Cruden
April 20, 2025 at 11:59 am
You have to be able to trust who is supplying the equipment otherwise it is a liability. The moment the US unilaterally disabled features with regards to Ukraine, they became untrustworthy. We cannot rely the US being an ally at this point (as they have indicated), therefore the F35 is no longer an option going forward. It is not necessarily a political decision but a strategic one.
David
April 20, 2025 at 4:39 pm
90% of Canadas fighter missions are intercept missions near our northern borders we just had to commit to buying heavy lift helicopters for when the f-35s engines fail in the arctic. A single engine plane should never have been the top choice considering the primary role we need them for.
Taylor T
April 20, 2025 at 6:47 pm
Depending on the model, up to 30% of the JAS 39 avionics are US made, ITAR controlled components. If the idea here is to be independent of US wares, better keep looking because Trump has veto power on anything exported under ITAR. Kind of a weird spot to be put in – buying a far less capable aircraft which would be just as much of a paperweight if Canada’s southern cousins don’t want to play nice.
Miklos G.
April 20, 2025 at 8:53 pm
Gripen will be manufactured here in Canada if we go that way creating jobs. Canadian engineers will probably add some features making it a better fighter jet.
RodB
April 21, 2025 at 8:42 am
The ignorance of some of the commentators would be hilarious if it were not so serious.
I am not a Canadian. I have never even visit it, but even I know:
Canada made a major contribution on both world wars in the defeat of Germany and its allies – and in neither war did it wait a year or two to join the righteous side.
Joining the European Union is NOT the same in ANY way to being annexed as a 51st state of the US.
MartinU
April 21, 2025 at 11:50 am
The F-35 is a bit like owning a modern Windows PC. You just need to get work done but there’s always some nagging issue or another which will be taken care of in the next release (honest!). This plane is always one software release short of being the fantastic, world beating, super weapon. Unfortunately, the world can’t wait for development cycles to mature, especially as potential adversaries are constantly working to negate them.
Avinash
April 21, 2025 at 12:08 pm
Both the Boramae and the Gripen have GE engines. So won’t the US have a veto?
Rafale is the only other option, but there’s years of backlog owing to the popularity of the jet.
Tough for the Canadians.
Jun
April 21, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Wait until Japan, UK, and Italy show their stuff. The GCAP. They best save their money for the 6th-gen at this point. Politically, it’s a safer bet to buy than any US product.
Cal Lawrence
April 21, 2025 at 1:50 pm
China has zero capacity to “land troops” anywhere in Canada, let alone in the northern territories. The only nation that Canada has to worry about an invasion from right now is the United States.
Cal Lawrence
April 21, 2025 at 1:56 pm
No, Patrick, it’s not strange at all. Many Canadians want Canada to join the Europe Union for the EXACT SAME REASON that Canadians are enraged by Trump’s demand that they become the 51st US state. The EU aligns with Canada’s values while the USA does not. Just a reminder, the United States is the only nation that has EVER invaded Canada.
And no, the United States is NOT “going bankrupt”. The United States was NOT “forced” to abandon free trade policies. The very foolish CHOICE to abandon free trade is precisely what’s CAUSING “US economic distress” now. And the anti-American sentiment sweeping Canada is a direct response to the US attacking Canada with tariffs and threatening to invade and annex them.
Gary
April 21, 2025 at 4:34 pm
One writer made a comment about Canada’s ability to fight in a war. What irony, in both world wars the US waited two years before committing. In the wars the US fought they were either a stalemate or a loss. In world warI and II Canada was in on day one, period. Now to the aircraft, unless changed, Canada will have to rely on some maintenance, done in the US under present regulations. The Swedish Grippen can land on small and less demanding runways as well as takeoff on same. If the information is correct the F35 needs 4 hours between launch and the price is lower. Finally and I stand corrected, I believe some of the build may take place here as well.
Niclas Horn
April 21, 2025 at 6:47 pm
Don’t write a article then you don’t understand the Has 39 Gripen instead of stealth it has EW that makes radar and missile locking system to fail to lock on the Gripen. Its as good as stealth, just different way of doing it!
Ron Fischer
April 21, 2025 at 7:02 pm
A note for those that say Canada has been unreliable for the US, but they know nothing. Canada has stood buy the USA again and again, and most recently more than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces served and 158 Canadian soldiers died during the Afghanistan mission.
Real alliances are not written in ink they are bound in blood, apparently for the USA the support only goes one way.
Tim Peterson
April 22, 2025 at 12:40 am
Keep the 88 F 35 order as is, add to it 100 F 15 II ex strike eagles for domestic security. Refueling aircraft. Medium logistics lift air craft. 40 more Chinook helicopters, and 36 kf 21 or griphens for trainers. That’s a start to getting serious, expensive, damn rights it’s expensive, so is life insurance and we cannot depend on American defense to defend our lands and oceans. Time to grow up Canada.
Lynyrd
April 22, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Canadians are just mad cause the usa put tariffs on them just like they been doing to the usa for years and years. They want that free trade policy but don’t want to give it in return. Nobody cares what planes you buy or where yall join. We don’t want yall as a 51st state either. Yes I’m glad we have someone running our country that doesn’t want to give everything to everyone for free in other countries and that country charge us outrageous prices. Someone that put its citizens first and doesn’t like our country being taken advantage of.It’s weird yall think we can’t run our own power to the few places we let yall make money off of. Or that you think we can’t do business with other countries and get what we need. Just as yall can but you gonna have to pay the tariffs from the other countries or whatever their prices are and not have that one sided free trade that you been getting.
Nick
April 23, 2025 at 9:29 am
The F-35 is a single engine fighter.. It can’t even reach the Canada’s far north with current infrastructure and bases. Even though the gripping is also a single engine fighter, it has a greater range.
This opinion piece is pretty much a shill job. Next time, do some research before shooting your mouth
Mac Bruce
April 23, 2025 at 11:13 am
Canada should contract with a country they can trust. Trust with the U.S. government is lost. From everything I have been reading about the Saab Gripen, it is a mighty fighter jet. It does not have stealth, but does electronic warfare capabilities which some say is a compelling alternative to stealth. Plus the jets can be assembled in Canada. I say Canada cut their losses and buy the Gripen.
John
April 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm
The gripen is faster than the f35 it’s not stealthy but as someone said once there bombs fuel tanks they’d out the wind does the f35 only carry 4 missiles inside. The gripen that is on offer has the latest technology it has a a lot of pylons to carry a vast array of mixed weapons the will allow Canada to build them so the spares will come from themselves and not a temperamental source
Nelly
April 23, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Unbelievable some of the comments from Americans, so clueless as to the reasons canada has tarrifs on “some” u.s. goods.
They are restrictions that, when met at a certain threshold come into effect as to not topple select canadian industries. God, I swear these Americans really need to be educated. It’s alarming to see how dumb they really are.
And, no, we no longer trust you, so were going with another aircraft. It’s none of your God damn business which one we choose too.
Go cry somewhere else
Maria
April 24, 2025 at 12:42 am
Canada will be OK with or w/o the States. America goes down anyway under it’s orange idiot-president’s rule and Maga flags.
Robert Solomon
April 24, 2025 at 8:44 am
Hello Canada. You’re spending 1.37% on your defense expenditures and you are one of only 8 nations that refuses to honor your 2014 NATO promise to spend 2% of GDP. And this was especially shameful for you, because in World War II, you had the third largest navy in the world, you had your own beach at Normandy, you suffered, you were courageous, and our open border between our countries was always secure. Under Trudeau, you have not done your part and it is no longer secure. You’re running anywhere, depending on how you figure it a $63 to $100 billion trade surplus. You’ve got asymmetrical tariffs. And so when Trump emphasized all of that, you get angry with the US. Its been a clown show up there for the last ten years, but go ahead and keep up the BS about broken trust, the spectacle of your hypocrisy is hilarious.
Jabbers99
April 24, 2025 at 3:25 pm
If we want the best we need to get the F-35. I want our government to work with the Trump administration not to antagonize it. What are we going to do, start cooperating with the communist Chinese on defence? TDS North virus is going to hurt Canada a lot more than it is the USA!
Richard Banigan
April 24, 2025 at 6:01 pm
I have been a Gripen fan for more than a decade, long before the current tariff war. The Gripen is a true multi-role fighter that is faster, more agile, and much cheaper than the F-35. Canada does not need a strike fighter with stealth capability. Stealth compromises performance and is only useful in a first strike situation. The Gripen is fully NATO compatible and has defeated the F-15 and F-16 in recent exercises. It actually has more U.S. components than the F-35. And if we can build and maintain it ourselves, we get the high tech jobs.
Thom
April 25, 2025 at 1:11 am
The Dassault Rafale would be a better choice than either the F-35 or the Saab Grippen for Canada. Most notably the Rafale offers twin engine safety which is important flying over the vast area of Canada.