Canada receives first F-35 jets from U.S. as full order still under review
Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with a planned order for 88 of these stealth fighter jets, and it may instead have a mixed fleet.
Canada has received its first pair of new F-35 fighter jets from the United States, according to a post on the Royal Canadian Air Force's social media accounts. The two Lockheed Martin jets, each adorned with a maple-leaf roundel, were delivered on Friday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with a full order for 88 of these stealth fighter jets. Instead, Canada may choose to maintain a mixed fleet that includes the Swedish-made Gripen jets. The decision to halt the 88-plane order was made amid repeated trade and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The F-35 jets, lauded by U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra as "the best fighter in the world," were recently delayed in their delivery due to the review of the purchase. This review was scheduled to be completed a year ago, but it has been ongoing since then. Former foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy warned in a blog post that Washington controls the software used by F-35 jets.
Axworthy's concerns echo Trump's earlier comments about providing allied nations with less capable jets to maintain American supremacy.
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