Defence Minister David McGuinty says Canada’s planned purchase of 88 F-35 stealth fighters remains under review even after the RCAF received its first two jets.
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Defence Minister David McGuinty says the federal government’s planned purchase of 88 F-35 stealth fighters remains under review, despite the Royal Canadian Air Force receiving its first two jets in recent days.
McGuinty told reporters the government will take the time it needs to consider all factors, including industrial benefits and emerging autonomous air systems that can fly alongside fighter aircraft.
The RCAF announced last week on social media that it had received its first two F-35s from Lockheed Martin at Luke Air Force base in Phoenix, Arizona.
Prime Minister Mark Carney put the full order for 88 jets under review soon after he came into office, when U.S. President Donald Trump was still in the early stages of a trade war against Canada.
Ottawa has committed financially to purchasing at least the first 16 jets and has ordered spare parts.
Swedish defence manufacturer Saab announced partnerships with several major Canadian aerospace companies this week as it prepares for the possibility that the Carney government opts for a mixed fighter fleet and builds Gripen E fighter jets in Canada.
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