Canada finalizes deal to buy dozens of US F-35 fighter jets

Canada has finalized an agreement with the US and Lockheed Martin to purchase 88 F-35 fighter jets, the government announced, as it seeks to upgrade the country’s ageing fleet.

During a news conference on Monday, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said the $14.2bn deal marked the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in three decades.

“As our world grows darker, with Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, this project has taken on heightened significance, especially given the importance of interoperability with our allies,” Anand said.

The announcement comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at a “Three Amigos” summit in Mexico City this week.

Canada, which has a close defence relationship with the US, has been trying for more than a decade to replace its fleet of aging Boeing CF-18 fighters, some of which are more than 40 years old.

The first four F-35 aircraft are anticipated to be delivered in 2026 with full operational capacity for the fleet expected between 2032 and 2034.

The project’s $14.2bn budget includes the cost of infrastructure setup, weapons and other related expenses in addition to the price of planes, which are estimated at about $85m each.

The full life cycle of the programme is expected to cost $52bn, however, which has drawn some criticism and questions in Canada.

“As winter sets in and Canadians struggle to make ends meet, it is irresponsible and unjust for the Trudeau government to spend public money on American warplanes,” the No Fighter Jets Coalition activist group said in a statement in late December.

“Instead, the federal government should invest in affordable housing, health care, education, economic assistance, and climate action. Canada’s planned F-35 procurement is unacceptable and immoral and must be canceled.”