Key Points: Canada’s fleet of CF-18 Hornet fighters is aging and increasingly unreliable, with nearly 40% of aircraft out of service. A 2023 study described the program as being in a “crisis,” citing low morale, pilot shortages, and maintenance issues.
-Canada is extending CF-18 life through the Hornet Extension Program, upgrading avionics, radar, and weaponry—but readiness concerns remain acute.
-Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney is reconsidering the nation’s commitment to acquiring 88 F-35s, a crucial replacement plan.
-As geopolitical tensions rise, Canada urgently needs modern, combat-ready aircraft to uphold its NATO commitments, but internal politics and budgetary constraints threaten timely modernization.
Is Canada’s CF-18 Fighter Jet Ready for a Military Deployment?
What gets lost in the shuffle during all the discussions about whether the Canadians will honor their contract with the United States for 88 F-35s is the reliability and readiness of the current air force for the Great White North.
The numbers are atrocious. An estimated 40 percent of the entire fleet of airplanes is out of action. That means only around six in ten aircraft are ready to fight. A big part of this problem is the aging CF-18 Hornet fighter jet entering 45 years of use.
The CF-18 has come under fire before. There have been extensive questions about the old warbird. In 2023, the Canadian government sponsored a study with the British think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). The report found that the CF-18 program was in a “crisis.”
Scathing Findings About the CF-18
According to the report, “the fighter force experienced low morale, significant departure rates among instructor pilots and a shortage of maintenance technicians, all of which hindered its capacity to fulfil NATO obligations. The situation could potentially endanger the RCAF’s transition to the newly acquired fighters as well,” the authors wrote.
Around 138 CF-18 Hornets are in the Canadian fleet, and many are currently out of action. In 2024, Canada agreed to a $157.3 million sustainability contract with Arcfield Canada to extend the life of as many CF-18s as possible until the F-35 is ready to fly. This is called the Hornet Extension Program. The primary needs are improvements to the CF-18’s avionics, radar, and weapons systems.
There Is a Long Way to Go
Six CF-18s were upgraded by July of last year. These airplanes are ready to serve with the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and NATO until 2032. Phase One of the Hornet Extension Program aims to update at least 88 CF-18s. Phase Two will focus on 36 CF-18s that will get combat performance upgrades.
Arms and Radar Upgrades Have Been Going on Since 2020
However, this is only the beginning of what the CF-18s must endure before they are operationally ready for 21st-century combat should there be a contingency with Russia and NATO. In 2020, the United States sold Canada a dizzying array of CF-18 munitions and equipment to modernize the fleet.
“Included in the equipment was a request from Canada for 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles; 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missiles; 38 APG-79(V)4 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar units; 38 APG-79(V)4 AESA radar A1 kits; 20 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C, AGM-154C; and 46 F/A-18A wide band RADOMEs,” according to Airforce-Technology.com.
All of that had to be installed, and pilots and technicians had to be trained on using some of the new systems. The AESA radar was an excellent upgrade to the CF-18. Sidewinder missiles and Joint Standoff Weapons were put to good use as well.
When Are the F-35s Coming?
The Hornet Extension Program was meant to be a bridge until the F-35s would be sent to Canada. However, the deal with Lockheed Martin is under greater scrutiny now. Prime Minister Mark Carney has placed the F-35 agreement under “review.” The United States is not that popular with many Canadians, and during Carney’s election campaign, it was fashionable to bash the Americans and speak about Canadian national pride and patriotism.
The Lighting II Was Not Part of the Discussion
Carney and Trump met this week in a session at the White House. It doesn’t look like the F-35 deal was part of the discussion. I searched the readout transcript of the meeting, and the term “F-35” did not appear. Carney maintained that Canada was not for sale and would not become the “51st state.” The prime minister is signaling that he is not willing to listen to Trump’s more agitating rhetoric, and those annoying comments by the president have not helped the possibility of the F-35 becoming the main Canadian fighter.
Lockheed Martin surely hoped that the two leaders would come to an understanding on the F-35 while talking at the White House. There has been much discussion about the Canadians canceling all or part of the F-35 pact and the possibility of its air force choosing Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen or the Eurofighter Typhoon instead.
If the Americans want the F-35 deal to go through, Trump must engage in “fighter plane diplomacy.” Perhaps a follow-up phone call to Carney would help. In their discussions, NATO came up, and Carney said his country would step up its pledge to the alliance.
“And my government is committed to a step change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership. And I’ll say this as well, that the president has revitalized international security, revitalized NATO, and us playing our full weight in NATO, Carney said at the Oval Office.
Suppose the Canadians had to deploy right this minute for a contingency in Europe. They would have to depend on some CF-18s not entirely through the extension process. This is not the ideal circumstance for the country’s security. More Hornet fighters are advancing through the upgrade program, but Canada needs newer fighter jets to play a significant role in NATO’s defense strategy.
The state of the Canadian Air Force is atrocious, with all its readiness problems. There is a good plan for the CF-18s, although many should be retired and replaced by the F-35. The review of the agreement with the United States is in question. For Canada to be a factor in international security, it must have a fully functioning air force, and it doesn’t appear the country is ready for a fight should it have to deploy troops soon.
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
May 7, 2025 at 1:14 pm
” Roughly Only 40 Percent Of These Fighters Can’t Fly”
What on earth does that mean? Things get missed when proofreading, but don’t you even read the titles?
James
May 10, 2025 at 10:54 am
Canada has been unmasked. All these years, Americans thought that we had a reasonably reliable neighbor to our north, but it turns out they’re a farce. Not even worth calling upon in an emergency. Even Europe has to be shocked at Canada’s unpreparedness. What will the Canadian Air Force do with the F35? Who will fix and fly them? Heck, even the Gripen seems beyond their capabilities. This would be funny if it weren’t so serious.
The thought of Trump calling Carney? Hahahahahaha!!!
Swamplaw Yankee
May 10, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Oh Beaver pooh. The Canada thing again: cash for the Yankee structure.
What is the peer review? Yankee Doodle Dandies seem shocked that the USA is suspended in pre 2000 years.
The Only Canada talk must be how much cash Mexico is going to contribute to Canadian GNP defence spending percentage!
Mexico is hiding behind 100 years of free defence protection. The Yankee supplies this free to them decade after decade. Zero demand for cash from the Cartel management!
Yankee wake up: the FSB cells and Zi Han triad cells have controlled Canada for decades! That is why Bin Ladin operated freely in Toronto. The leftie Pinkoe structure is so solid in Toronto that the inner beltway alphabet agencies was 100 % blind to 9-11. Or, better still, the penetration into the inner Beltway agencies by these cells is horrendously high. Who will be honest about this reality in the public MSM? Yeah, honest to the USA public!
The proof: Lots of BS about the F-35. Zero about 5% of GNP for Canadian Defense NOW! Not BS about some far off date in the futurist calendar! This not ww2 time frames.
The Yankee must stop hiding behind “old” Canada of 1939. The Yankee must demand huge retro payment cash from Mexico for up to now free Protection. Where the tortilla is this concept in the inner beltway? Hello real MAGA readers!! Retro Payments from Mexico for 100 years of free protection!
Or, we see the real MAGA. Screw CANADA for the F-35 garbage, and kiss + cuddle Mexico for having zero F-35 in operation. Hey, the Yankee did that with the Orenda engine and Avro Arrow: remember?
Mexico needs F-35 puchase’s on a per Capita basis. For every one planned for Canada, three F-35’s bought + flown by Mexico. Now.
Is Chuck DeVore right 100% or just 90% right about the Mexico situation? What is it? Oh, no body, in Yankee will even fart about it!!
Up to the time that is resolved, resolve that Mexico puts up cash to Canada for NATO, Norad money spent for the last 70 years. Or, tell the MSM + public that the free loading Mexico economy better start retro payments for decades of free Yankee protection of those Cartels, Cartels equipped to attack the USA at a moments notice. Or, is Chuck DeVore, et al, all BS too?
The Whiners in 1945 need to start exposing why they refuse to demand a Mexican F-35 mega purchase? They need to honestly debate how a 1000 F-35 purchase by Mexico will be “great” for MAGA USA. The cuddled and kissed Cartels can even pay 100% of the Mexican F-35 bill.
There are some brave warriors from 1939 alive in Canada that fought to keep the yellooooe belliees of America so vey cuddly safe safe in 39-40-41-42. Nobody like that alive in big population Mexico: enough said. If New Zealand can have troops who fought from day 1 of WW2 to the May 8 45 end, how come there are zero USA troops who fought from day 1?? The answer: yelloooooe bellliiiie yankee. The same who will refuse to demand that Mexico dole out cash fight this second for the past free USA protection. The Mexicans can start to negotiate what they must oay out starting tomorrow!
James
May 10, 2025 at 8:22 pm
C’mon Swamplaw – Mexico doesn’t make itself out to be a G7 member or a member of NATO or a world player. Canada does, yet it’s turned out to be a complete phoney. An unreliable empty suit. You act like a player, but you’re nothing but a two bit phoney. You are far worse than Mexico. At least they don’t try and act like they matter on the world stage, and they have smartly come to the the trade table with the US, unlike Canada who is all “elbows up” against America. Yeah, keep listening to Carney! LOL! You’ve been an unreliable partner, and you pulled it off really well, until now. The gig is up for Canada. The mask is off, and it appears that you’re just a third world socialist Republic that has played America and Europe for suckers. Screw you. Game over. But hey, we’ll gladly take Alberta and Saskatchewan, but the rest of you liberal socialists can die on the vine.