Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opposed the F-35, but that jet was nevertheless selected as the next Canadian fighter.
The current Royal Canadian Air Force fighter jet, the CF-18, is just another example of how close the relationship between Washington and Ottawa historically has been.
A U.S. Navy plane slightly tweaked for the Canadians, the CF-18 has served since the early 1980s; it needs to be replaced. To source a new fighter, Canada ran the Future Fighter Capability Project, which ultimately yielded Canada’s selection of the F-35.
No More F-35?
Recent reporting by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada’s public broadcaster, suggests Canada is taking more than a passing glance at F-35 alternatives in what could end up being a significant shift for Canadian defense.
Saab’s Gripen E was the runner-up to Lockheed’s F-35 in the Future Fighter Capability Project. Bill Blair, Canada’s defense minister, suggested his ministry would take another hard look at the Swedish offer.
“It was the fighter jet identified by our air force as the platform that they required, but we are also examining other alternatives—whether we need all of those fighter jets to be F-35,” Blair said, underlining the change in stance toward the F-35, but in effect saying Canada could be open to flying two types of fighter jet instead of just the F-35.
“The prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada,” Blair affirmed.
However, the Royal Canadian Air Force has been somewhat wary of maintaining two different fighters, citing the logistical complexities it would entail, as well as the additional trainers, maintainers, and pilots needed for a separate platform. Costs could be expected to swell.
Thanks, but no Thanks
This is not the first time that Canada has soured on the F-35. In 2015, Canada’s Liberals ran a decidedly anti-F-35 message.
“We will not buy the F-35 stealth fighter-bomber. We will immediately launch an open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fighter aircraft. The primary mission of our fighter aircraft should remain the defence of North America, not stealth first-strike capability,” the Liberal Party platform read a decade ago.
“We will reduce the procurement budget for replacing the CF-18s,” it added, saying that it would “instead purchase one of the many, lower-priced options that better match Canada’s defence needs … We will make investing in the Royal Canadian Navy a top priority. By purchasing more affordable alternatives to the F-35s, we will be able to invest in strengthening our Navy.”
Trudeau effectively promised that Canada would not buy any American F-35s, and that it would instead run an open contest.
And the Winner Was…
Fast forward to 2019, and Canada issued a request for 88 new fighters to replace the aged CF-18 fleet. The competitors? Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35, the Saab Gripen E, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Dassault, the French aerospace firm, decided not to enter their Rafale fighter, explaining that integrating American-designed weaponry would be difficult, as would be meeting the stringent requirements set by Canada’s involvement in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing consortium and the NORAD military command.
In 2022, the competition, this time organized on a points-based system pitting the Gripen E against the F-35, yielded an easy winner: Lockheed Martin’s F-35. In early 2023, Canada put ink to paper and signed an agreement for a fleet of 88 F-35A stealth fighters.
Of course, that order covers not only the fighters, but also F-35 support via infrastructure and maintainers, as well as training software, hardware, and other components. As part of the agreement, prospective Royal Canadian Air Force pilots will train on F-35As initially in Arizona, at the F-35A Pilot Training Center in Luke Air Force Base. The first of the jets is expected sometime next year.
And the Canadians have already plunked down cash for the project: The Canadian government’s most recent Future Fighter Capability Project update details a $15.8 million contract “for the design, manufacturing, and installation of individual secure enclosures making up the Tactical – Special Access Program Facility (TAC-SAPF).” The first 16 of the future 88-fighter fleet have been paid for.
Postscript
Despite this agreement, however, the recent and renewed distrust in the F-35 platform is an unmistakable sign that the longstanding Canadian-American relationship has been seriously bruised. What this means for the future of the Canadian F-35 project is, as of yet, unclear.
U.S. Air Force Major Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning ll Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies during sunset over Mathers Airport, Calif., Sept. 24th, 2021, at the California Capital Airshow. The team consists of approximately 15 total Airmen to include the pilot and commander, pilot safety officers, superintendent, team chief, maintenance Airmen, aircrew flight equipment specialists, and public affairs personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Barley)
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies during the 2021 Reno Air Races, Reno, Nev., Sept. 18, 2021. The 2021 Reno Air Races featured performances from the U.S. Air Force F-35A Demo Team and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Kip Sumner)
F-35 Elephant Walk. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Considering the amount of money already invested, and the increase in long-term costs of operating a two-jet fleet, it would be hard to imagine Canada divesting itself of the F-35. One of the more essential questions, perhaps, is what will happen to the relationship between America and one of its closest allies.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
Michael
May 10, 2025 at 11:03 am
” One of the more essential questions, perhaps, is what will happen to the relationship between America and one of its closest allies.”
Unfortunately, that relationship got really f@cked. And the responsibility for that is squarely on the US. Start insulting and threatening your customers and you lose business. It’s really that simple, just own it.
ROBERT GAl
May 17, 2025 at 10:09 am
Can we say another marketing attempt. One ‘forgets’ that when one of the F-35 are required to be upgraded (software etc). It still needs to be sent back to the US as they are not going ‘share’ the code, (for security reasons). But given how the US is dealing with its ‘allies’ now adays, not sure that is something that Canada should rely on.