Summary and Key Points: As of February 2026, Canada is navigating a “mixed-fleet” future for the RCAF amid strained relations with the Trump administration.
-Despite an ongoing contract review, Canada has reportedly begun payments for 14 additional F-35s, separate from the initial order of 16 jets arriving later this year.
F-35A Fighter for Canada. Image Created by Grok 3.
-While Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to confirm the final tally of the 88 planned airframes, Saab’s expansion in Canada to build Gripens for Ukraine has sparked intense speculation about a dual-fleet strategy.
-This modernization is critical: 40% of Canada’s 45-year-old CF-18 fleet is currently out of service.
Why Canada Just Doubled Down on the F-35
The ongoing debate on whether the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will continue to purchase the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation stealth fighter or jump ship ( to the Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter has taken yet another twist.
Because of the nadir in Can-Am relations, many pundits, such as editorial columnist Tony Keller, are calling for the Canadian government to renege on the F-35 deal and go gangbusters for Gripen.
On the flip side, you have folks like retired RCAF LCol Bille Flynn (a veteran of the 1999 Kosovo campaign and an F-35 test pilot for Lockheed Martin), who most certainly is not a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump but is even less of a fan of a would-be Canadian bugout on the Lightning II.
Apparently, the holders of the Canadian government’s purse strings have decided to look past the political kerfuffle and purchase several of the U.S. warbirds.
The F-35 Canada Scoop
This latest development comes to us courtesy of an anonymously authored February 10 article in Canadian Defense Review:
“As reported by CBC, Canada has started to make payments for 14 additional F-35s despite ongoing review of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet contract…This latest order is separate from Canada’s first order of 16 F-35s, which is expected to arrive in 2026, with deliveries continuing until 2030…Department of National Defence declined to confirm the additional purchase, stating only that the review is still underway…Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to confirm how many F-35 fighter jets Canada will purchase in total, since the F-35 review launched after U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in conjunction with the renewed tariff tensions between the U.S. and Canada.”
F-35 Fighter for Canada. Image Credit: Created by Ideogram.
JAS 39 Gripen Fighter for Canada. Image Credit: Ideogram.
Though Mr. Carney hasn’t made up in mind yet on the final tally for the stealth jet purchase, the original numbers for the deal signed back on January 9, 2023 called for a purchase 88 F-35A (Block 4) airframes; 16 airframes have already been paid for and are slated for delivery between 2026 and 2029.
The CDR article continues: “The move comes at a time of significant interest in Saab’s Gripen fighter fleet, following Saab’s announcement to expand production capacity within Canada to assemble Gripen fighter jets for Ukraine…Many are thinking that Canada will be purchasing a mixed-fleet, consisting of both the F-35s and the Gripens… No official announcements has been made regarding the F-35 review or update of the contract.”
We at 19FortyFive will certainly keep you, dear readers, posted on any such official announcements if and when they’re made available. Stay tuned.
Current RCAF Fighter Fleet Stats
According to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), the RCAF has an active inventory of 390 aircraft. Seventy-nine are fighter jets—seven of the American-made F/A-18 Hornets and 79 of the CF-18s, which are RCAF-specific versions of the Hornet with the following differences from the U.S. version:
–A spotlight on the right side of the nose for identifying intruders on night intercepts
–An instrument landing system receiver replacing the automatic carrier landing system
–A cold-weather survival kit
–Capability to carry Canadian CRV-70 unguided rocket pods and British BL755 cluster munitions
–A 1,820-liter long-range external tank (which wasn’t adopted by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since it wouldn’t fit on the centerline pylon)
Sobering Realities of the CF-18 (and How the F-35 Could Alleviate Them)
While the CF-18 version of the Hornet is certainly a battle-proven warbird (just ask Billie Flynn), the problem is that it’s getting way too long in the tooth.
The Canadian Hornet fleet is 45 years old now, and a shocking 40 percent of the planes are out of service, thus leaving six in 10 fighters that are actually fit to fight.
CF-18 Canada Air Force.
A CF-18 Hornet from the Canadian Air Task Force Lithuania flies over Lithuania on November 20, 2014 for the NATO Baltic Air Policing Block 36 during Operation REASSURANCE.
A CF-18 Hornet fighter jet soars through the clouds over Iraq before commencing the next mission during Operation IMPACT on January 23, 2015.
Needless to say, an influx of F-35s into the RCAF would go a long way toward alleviating that crisis.
What’s more, the current sour state of U.S.-Canadian relations notwithstanding, there are seven other NATO member nations using the F-35 (out of 19 total nations signed onto the Lighting II program), ergo a continuation of the stealth jet acquisition would be a major boon to the RCAF’s interoperability with allied air forces.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
