Amid escalating political tensions with the Trump administration — including annexation rhetoric, tariff threats, and a sweeping review of defence cooperation — Canada appears to be quietly moving forward with its acquisition of additional F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters.
In March 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney placed Ottawa’s planned purchase of 88 F-35 jets under formal review. The move came as relations between Canada and the United States deteriorated sharply over trade disputes and repeated remarks by US President Donald Trump questioning Canada’s sovereignty.
At the time, the review was presented as a reassessment of Canada’s long-term defence procurement strategy in light of shifting geopolitical and economic conditions. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) had already committed to 16 aircraft, with those jets fully paid for and scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026. The remaining 72 aircraft were placed under scrutiny.
However, nearly a year later, the review remains incomplete — and recent developments suggest Ottawa may be quietly ensuring that its place in the global F-35 production queue remains secure.
According to a recent report by CBC News citing informed sources, Canada has begun making payments for key components for 14 additional F-35s. These payments are separate from the contract covering the initial batch of 16 aircraft.
The expenditures reportedly involve so-called “long-lead items” — critical components such as structural assemblies, fuselage sections, avionics systems, and other specialized parts that must be ordered years in advance due to the complexity of the F-35’s global production process.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 program operates through a vast international supply chain. Production slots are allocated years ahead of final assembly, and countries must commit to purchasing essential components well before receiving fully assembled aircraft. Failing to secure these parts early can mean losing priority in the production queue.
While the Department of National Defence declined to confirm specifics about these additional payments, it reiterated that the broader review of the program is ongoing.
Observers note that making advance payments for critical components strongly suggests Ottawa is keeping its options open — and potentially positioning itself to proceed with the full acquisition once political tensions ease.
Further fueling speculation, Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, commander of the RCAF, recently traveled to Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. There, she signed the fuselage bulkhead of the first Canadian F-35 — a ceremonial but symbolically significant milestone.
Later this year, Canadian pilots are expected to begin training on the F-35 at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, flying in a mixed squadron alongside US Air Force counterparts. This integration underscores the deep interoperability requirements that underpin North American continental defence planning.
Taken together, these developments suggest that while the review remains technically unresolved, the machinery of procurement and integration continues to move forward.
The original review was launched amid rising tensions with Washington. President Trump has imposed tariffs on key Canadian exports and floated aggressive trade measures, including threats to decertify Bombardier Global Express business jets and levy 50% tariffs on “all aircraft made in Canada” unless US-made aircraft receive reciprocal certification.
Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge — a $4 billion infrastructure project fully funded by Canada — connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.
Against this backdrop, some analysts believe the F-35 review may have been intended as leverage.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) expert, speaking anonymously, suggested that Prime Minister Carney may be using the fighter acquisition as a negotiating chip in broader trade and sovereignty disputes. Cancelling the F-35 outright would represent a severe blow to bilateral relations — one that neither Ottawa nor Washington may ultimately want.
At the same time, pressure from US officials has been unmistakable.
Last month, US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra warned of “significant consequences” for the continental defence alliance if Canada fails to complete its F-35 purchase. He specifically referenced the future of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the joint US-Canada command responsible for aerospace warning and control.
“If Canada is no longer going to provide that capability, then we have to fill those gaps,” Hoekstra said, suggesting the US might be forced to purchase additional aircraft for the US Air Force and increase patrols in Canadian airspace.
Such remarks have been widely interpreted as strategic pressure designed to reinforce the importance of interoperability and shared defence responsibilities.
Some defence analysts argue that Canada may have already crossed the “point of no return.” Once long-lead items are purchased and industrial commitments deepened, backing out becomes both financially and diplomatically costly.
Justin Massie, a political scientist and defence specialist at Université du Québec à Montréal, described the expenditures as “expected,” noting that the government has not officially changed its F-35 policy. However, he acknowledged that the ongoing review places the Carney administration in a politically delicate position — caught between logistical realities and a tense political relationship with Washington.
Others contend that Ottawa is simply being prudent. Given the lengthy timelines associated with fighter aircraft production, continuing preparatory spending allows Canada to preserve flexibility without making a final political commitment.
The uncertainty has also kept alive hopes for Sweden’s Saab, which has offered Canada 72 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighters as part of a competing proposal.
Saab officials recently indicated at the Singapore Air Show that they anticipated the RCAF might operate a mixed fleet of F-35s and Gripens — combining fifth-generation stealth capabilities with a lower-cost, highly maintainable fourth-plus-generation platform.
However, such a mixed fleet would introduce significant logistical and financial complexities. Operating two distinct fighter ecosystems would require separate training pipelines, maintenance infrastructure, supply chains, and software support systems — increasing long-term costs.
Moreover, Canada’s Department of National Defence previously conducted a formal evaluation of both aircraft. According to data obtained by Radio-Canada, the F-35 received a 95% rating for military capabilities, while the Gripen E scored 33%, earning 19.8 points out of a possible 60 in certain key categories.
Those results significantly strengthened the F-35’s standing within Canada’s defence establishment.
Beyond politics and procurement mechanics lies a deeper strategic calculus.
Canada’s aging CF-18 fleet requires replacement to maintain effective sovereignty patrols over vast Arctic territories and to meet commitments under NORAD. With Russia increasing its Arctic military presence and China expanding long-range air and missile capabilities, many experts argue that only a fifth-generation platform like the F-35 offers the sensor fusion, stealth, and networked warfare capabilities required for future threats.
Canada also operates a wide array of American-made defence platforms, from maritime patrol aircraft to transport fleets. This deep integration reinforces the logic of selecting a fighter that seamlessly connects with US systems in joint operations.
For Ottawa, walking away from the F-35 would mean not only restarting a costly procurement competition but potentially undermining decades of integrated defence planning.
While the formal review has been pushed indefinitely, Canada’s quiet financial commitments and operational preparations suggest a trajectory that increasingly points toward completion of the F-35 acquisition.
Yet the political optics remain complicated. With tensions between Ottawa and Washington still simmering, any definitive announcement could be portrayed domestically as capitulation to US pressure.
For now, the Carney government appears to be pursuing a cautious middle path — neither cancelling nor fully reaffirming the deal, but methodically preserving its ability to proceed.
In the high-stakes arena of continental defence and geopolitical rivalry, Canada’s fighter choice has become more than a procurement decision. It now sits at the intersection of sovereignty, alliance politics, industrial economics, and strategic deterrence.
Whether Ottawa ultimately finalizes the purchase of all 88 aircraft or recalibrates its approach, one reality is clear: the F-35 debate has evolved into a defining test of Canada’s defence posture in an era of renewed great-power competition — and strained transatlantic trust.
