Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told a Senate defense committee on April 27 that Ottawa has not set a timeline for deciding whether to proceed with its $19 billion CAD ($13.9 billion USD) plan to acquire 88 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets. The latest comments suggest Canada may be no closer to making a decision on its future fifth-generation fighter fleet, further extending a review launched in March 2025.
“The review of the purchase of the F-35s is continuing,” McGuinty told the Senate’s defense committee. “We are taking the necessary time to study very, very closely the question of the fighter fleet.”
The additional delay also pushes the process well beyond its original September 2025 target completion date and comes as U.S. officials continue to warn that scaling back the purchase could complicate operations under North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Canada’s F-35 Deal Is Still In Question
Canada’s F-35 program was intended to end more than a decade of delays in replacing the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) aging CF-18 fleet. In early 2023, Ottawa signed an agreement to purchase 88 aircraft from Lockheed Martin, but the plan was disrupted in March last year when Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a full review of the deal.
CF-18 Fighter from Canada. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
CF-18 Fighter from Canada.
Carney cited concerns about over-reliance on the U.S. defense industrial base amid deteriorating trade relations.
The review was initially expected to conclude by September 2025, but more than six months later, it remains completely unresolved. And, even in recent months, Sweden’s Saab has made increasingly aggressive offers to convince Canada to operate a mixed fleet of Canada’s planned F-35s and dozens of its own Gripen fighter jets.
Canada has already secured funding for the first 16 F-35s, with additional payments recently made to preserve production slots for future jets.
Ottawa also continues to face pressure from RCAF officials who have repeatedly stated that the fifth-generation F-35 is still Canada’s best option. Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna, a senior RCAF officer and operational commander within NORAD, heavily implied the F-35 was the right option during a December 2025 interview, saying that while it is a “sovereign decision” for Canada to make, he would say that NORAD needs an aircraft “that has overmatch over the adversaries.” The comment potentially rules out the Saab Gripen, a 4.5-generation fighter jet.
What Canada May Choose Instead
If Canada ultimately reduces or walks away from its full F-35 purchase, the most viable and actively pursued alternative remains the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. Sweden’s Saab has spent the past year intensifying its pitch to Ottawa, positioning the Gripen as both a military and industrial alternative to the U.S.-built F-35.
Saab’s offer is becoming increasingly competitive. The company has proposed assembling the Gripen in Canada and transferring significant intellectual property – a point of contention among modern fighter procurement programs. The model would allow domestic industry to sustain and modify the aircraft over its lifecycle.
Saab has also promised to support more than 12,500 Canadian jobs, including high-skilled roles in aerospace manufacturing and long-term maintenance.
The company has also suggested that Canada could gain a role in future Gripen development programs, giving Ottawa more control over upgrades and export opportunities – something not available under the F-35 program, which is tightly managed by Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government
CF-18 Canada. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The main argument from Sweden is that the Gripen offers lower acquisition and sustainment costs, and faster delivery timelines – potentially within five years. Their offer would also arguably provide greater flexibility for dispersed operations, including from remote airfields in Canada’s north.
However, the aircraft lacks the stealth and deep sensor fusion integration of a fifth-generation platform, a gap that Canadian military officials continue to highlight as a major disadvantage.
Saab’s increasingly generous offers have also forced Lockheed Martin to beef up its own industrial offer.
Lockheed has repeatedly noted that more than 110 Canadian companies are participating in the F-35 program, collectively securing over $3 billion CAD (approximately $2.2 billion USD) in contracts to date through production of components such as landing gear and avionics systems.
Lockheed’s position is that its model provides long-term, export-driven industrial returns tied directly to Canada’s continued participation in the multinational program.
Allies Move Ahead Despite Canada Delays
While Ottawa continues its review, several NATO allies have moved in the opposite direction, accelerating their own F-35A Lightning II procurements to address growing threats from Russia and China.
In recent months, countries including Germany and Finland have reaffirmed or expanded their F-35 commitments, citing the need for fifth-generation capabilities and seamless interoperability with U.S. forces.
In February, reports revealed how German officials were considering a follow-on order of up to 35 additional F-35s on top of their original purchase.
Finland, meanwhile, has already begun taking delivery of its F-35s, with its first aircraft rolled out in December 2025 and additional jets arriving in the United States for pilot training in early 2026 ahead of their transfer to Finnish bases later this year.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
