Despite political uncertainty swirling around Canada’s flagship fighter acquisition, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has moved one step closer to inducting its first fifth-generation stealth jet. On February 2, 2026, Canadian military officials joined U.S. defense executives in Fort Worth, Texas, to mark the start of final assembly of Canada’s first F-35A Lightning II—an event that underscored the enduring momentum of the program even as Ottawa continues to reassess its long-term commitment.
The ceremony, hosted by U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin at its sprawling Fort Worth production facility, formally signaled that Canada’s first F-35 has entered the final stages of manufacture. Initial deliveries to the RCAF are expected later in 2026, aligning with earlier timelines set after Canada signed its contract in 2023.
Yet the symbolism of the event went beyond industrial progress. It took place against the backdrop of heightened political friction between Ottawa and Washington and an ongoing review ordered by Prime Minister Mark Carney into Canada’s planned purchase of 88 F-35 fighters.
In March 2025, Prime Minister Carney announced that his government would review the F-35 acquisition amid escalating tensions with the Trump administration, which returned to power in the United States earlier that year. The review cast fresh doubt over one of the largest defense procurement projects in Canadian history.
Canada signed a US$14.2 billion agreement with Lockheed Martin in January 2023 to acquire 88 F-35A aircraft in four tranches, with deliveries scheduled through 2032. The jets were intended to replace the RCAF’s aging CF-18 Hornet fleet and restore Canada’s ability to meet both NATO and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) commitments well into the 2050s.
While the fate of the overall program remains undecided, Ottawa has made one point clear: Canada will take delivery of the 16 aircraft it has already paid for. The remaining 72 jets are now the subject of political, fiscal, and strategic scrutiny.
The Fort Worth ceremony served as tangible evidence that, at least for now, the program is moving ahead. According to Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND), the event was intended to “highlight another production milestone” for the aircraft, which is anticipated to be handed over to the RCAF later this year.
At the heart of the ceremony was Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who was scheduled to sign the fuselage bulkhead of the first Canadian F-35 with a black marker—an established tradition for partner nations entering the final assembly phase.
Lockheed Martin conducts similar ceremonies for all allied customers of the F-35 program. Still, Canada’s participation attracted unusual attention given the political headwinds facing the deal. Defense analysts noted that Ottawa’s visible engagement with the program sends a strong signal to allies and industry alike that Canada is not preparing for a sudden withdrawal.
For the Canadian Armed Forces, the event was also a practical milestone. The RCAF has already begun training pilots on the F-35 in the United States and is upgrading infrastructure at key bases, including Cold Lake in Alberta and Bagotville in Quebec, to accommodate the stealth fighters.
These preparations have continued uninterrupted despite the acquisition review—an indication that the military is planning on the aircraft’s arrival, even if politicians remain divided.
The F-35 review has sparked sharp debate in Parliament. Opposition Conservatives have urged the government to proceed with the full purchase, arguing that no alternative aircraft can meet Canada’s operational requirements.
MP Jeff Kibble, a prominent Conservative voice on defense matters, pressed the issue in the House of Commons last week.
“Our air force is calling for this aircraft, and our allies are calling for this aircraft. What more does the prime minister need to see?” he asked, according to CBC News.
Supporters of the deal argue that abandoning or downsizing the F-35 purchase would undermine Canada’s credibility within NATO and NORAD, particularly at a time of heightened global instability and renewed great-power competition.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about cost overruns, long-term sustainment expenses, and Canada’s deepening reliance on U.S. defense supply chains—concerns that have gained traction amid political tensions with Washington.
Regardless of the outcome of the F-35 review, one reality remains unchanged: the RCAF is already deeply reliant on American-origin equipment. From fighters and maritime patrol aircraft to transport planes, helicopters, trainers, and unmanned systems, U.S. platforms form the backbone of Canada’s air power.
The F-35, in this sense, would not represent a dramatic shift but rather the continuation of a decades-long pattern.
Canada’s current frontline fighter, the CF-18 Hornet, is itself a derivative of the U.S.-built F/A-18. Acquired in the early 1980s under the New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) program, the CF-18 replaced aging Cold War-era jets such as the CF-104 Starfighter.
Ottawa ordered 138 aircraft—98 single-seat CF-18A variants and 40 two-seat CF-18B trainers—with deliveries beginning in 1982 and production concluding in 1988. Over the decades, the CF-18 has been repeatedly upgraded to extend its service life.
The aircraft has seen extensive operational use, including combat missions during the 1991 Gulf War, NATO’s air campaign over Yugoslavia in 1999, and operations over Libya in 2011. It has also remained central to Canada’s NORAD commitments, routinely intercepting Russian bombers approaching North American airspace.
To bridge the gap until a replacement arrives, Canada purchased 18 flyable F/A-18A/B Hornets and up to seven non-flyable airframes for spare parts from Australia between 2017 and 2019. Those Australian jets, in turn, were originally acquired from the United States—further underscoring the circular nature of Canada’s dependence on U.S. fighter technology.
The need to replace the CF-18 fleet led to the launch of the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP), one of the most closely watched defense competitions in recent Canadian history. The Lockheed Martin F-35A and Saab’s Gripen E emerged as the final contenders, with Dassault’s Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon also participating earlier in the process.
In 2022, Ottawa selected the F-35, citing its advanced stealth, sensor fusion, and interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. The decision effectively meant replacing an American-designed fighter with a more advanced American platform—an outcome that appealed to military planners focused on seamless integration with allies.
The deal was formalized in January 2023, setting Canada on course to become one of the largest F-35 operators outside the United States.
The RCAF’s reliance on U.S. platforms extends well beyond fighter aviation. One of its most important surveillance assets is the CP-140 Aurora, Canada’s primary long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
The CP-140 is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, a mainstay of U.S. Navy maritime patrol operations since the 1960s. While Canada equipped the Aurora with a unique, customized avionics suite tailored to its needs, the aircraft’s American lineage is unmistakable.
After more than four decades of service, the CP-140 is nearing the end of its operational life. In November 2023, Canada finalized a government-to-government agreement with the United States to acquire up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, the modern successor to the P-3.
Ottawa plans to procure 14 aircraft initially, with an option for two more. The first P-8 is expected to arrive by 2026, with full operational capability projected for 2033. Like the F-35, the P-8 underscores Canada’s preference for proven U.S. platforms when replacing critical capabilities.
Canada’s air mobility fleet further illustrates the pattern. The CC-130 Hercules—Canada’s designation for the Lockheed Martin C-130—has been a cornerstone of RCAF operations for decades.
Today, 17 CC-130J Super Hercules aircraft remain fully operational, forming the backbone of Canada’s tactical airlift capability. Based at 8 Wing Trenton in Ontario, they support domestic operations, overseas deployments, humanitarian missions, and disaster response. Older CC-130H variants are being phased out, particularly from search-and-rescue roles.
At the strategic level, the RCAF operates the CC-177 Globemaster III, the Canadian variant of the Boeing C-17. These aircraft provide long-range heavy airlift, enabling Canada to rapidly deploy forces and equipment around the globe. Together, the CC-177 and CC-130J fleets give Canada a highly capable, entirely U.S.-sourced air mobility structure.
Even Canada’s helicopter and training fleets reflect strong American ties. The CH-147F Chinook, built by Boeing, is the Canadian variant of the CH-47F and serves as the RCAF’s primary medium-to-heavy lift helicopter.
Used to transport troops, vehicles, artillery, and supplies, the Chinook has proven indispensable in both domestic emergencies and overseas operations. Canada is currently pursuing a mid-life upgrade to ensure the helicopter remains viable for decades to come.
Meanwhile, several of Canada’s core training aircraft—including the CT-156 Harvard II, CT-145 Beechcraft King Air, and CH-139 JetRanger—are designed and manufactured by U.S. companies. Although often assembled, modified, or supported in Canada, these platforms rely heavily on American supply chains for parts, upgrades, and sustainment.
Canada’s growing interest in unmanned systems has followed a similar path. In December 2023, Ottawa signed a US$1.87 billion deal to acquire 11 MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones—also known as the SeaGuardian—from the United States.
The drones, expected to be delivered by 2028, will provide long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities over land and maritime environments. Their acquisition further deepens Canada’s integration with U.S. defense technology ecosystems.
As Ottawa’s review of the F-35 program continues, defense experts widely believe that Canada will ultimately proceed with the purchase, albeit potentially with adjustments to timing or quantity. The costs of reversing course—financially, militarily, and diplomatically—would be significant.
For the RCAF, the calculus is straightforward. The service has planned its future force structure around the F-35, trained personnel accordingly, and invested heavily in infrastructure to support it. Introducing an alternative aircraft at this stage would likely delay fleet renewal by years and complicate interoperability with allies.
Whether Canada completes the full 88-jet purchase or scales it back, the Fort Worth ceremony made one fact unmistakably clear: Canada’s air force is not stepping away from its deep-rooted dependence on the United States. The F-35 may still be under political review, but the broader trajectory of Canadian air power remains firmly anchored in American technology.
