Canada’s Royal Canadian Air Force has accepted the first delivery of two Lockheed Martin CF-35A Lightning II jets, while a decision on the overall order remains under review.
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Canada has received its first pair of new F-35 fighter jets, with the federal government still deliberating on how many of the aircraft it will purchase.
The Royal Canadian Air Force announced the Friday acceptance of two Lockheed Martin CF-35A Lightning II jets on social media, with the delivery accepted at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona on Oct. 22, 2016.
The air force said it could not immediately provide when it would begin training pilots on the new jets.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with a planned order for 88 stealth fighters, and the government is considering options that could include a mixed fleet with Gripen jets made by Saab.
Carney launched a review of the purchase amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated trade and annexation threats, and the review was previously expected to conclude a year ago.
The announcement comes after U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra recently hailed the F-35 as “the best fighter in the world,” while former foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy has warned that software used by F-35 jets is controlled by Washington.
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