Canada should reconsider its planned purchase of U.S.-made F-35 advanced fighter jets, the former head of Ottawa's air force has said, after the new Canadian government suggested it was weighing up its commitment to the American-led fighter program.
Why It Matters
During little over two months in office, President Donald Trump's administration has ripped up decades of trans-Atlantic relationships with European NATO members and started a trade war with Canada, leaving America's traditional allies to reorientate to an unpleasant new security landscape littered with doubts over how reliable Washington's military pledges are.
Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, is already reviewing Ottawa's commitment to the F-35 advanced fighter jet program, Defense Minister Bill Blair said last month.
"We are currently in the early stages of scoping the review in a way that is both efficient and thorough," a spokesperson for the Canadian Defense Ministry told Newsweek in a statement. "The review would take into account the work already done to replace Canada's current fighter jet fleet."
"To be clear, we are not cancelling the F-35 procurement at this time," the spokesperson added, saying the government "continues to review all procurement approaches to align with the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces."
Portugal's previous government had also floated a reevaluation of planned F-35 purchases.
What To Know
Retired Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin, who previously served as the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said in a blog post that he had recommended in 2012 to then-Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, that the F-35 was "the best choice for Canada."
The F-35 is the most advanced Western fighter jet currently in operation, billed by U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin as the "most lethal, survivable and connected fighter jet in the world." It is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft, kitted out with advanced avionics and sensors.
A total of 20 countries have signed up to the U.S.-led F-35 program, including Canada, the U.K., Israel and South Korea, as well as several European NATO countries.
But "in this incredibly damaging period, we owe our political leaders our best military expert advice, and reviewing all our current weapon acquisition decisions will be an essential step," Blondin said. "Building Canada's future fighter force solely on the F-35 today, hoping for the best, would be irresponsible."
Eyes have quickly turned to the F-35, with reports suggesting the stealth fighters contained an inbuilt "kill switch" which could be used at Washington's whim to effectively control the aircraft bought and operated by allied countries.
Experts and officials have downplayed these concerns, but concede that the U.S. could have a noticeable impact on how well these aircraft could operate, should it choose to influence software upgrades or change access to intelligence.
"The reality is that, without U.S. consent, no country can hope to operate the F-35 for long: the U.S. controls its operating software, updates, upgrades, maintenance, parts and armament," Blondin said.
But there are no real fifth-generation alternatives to the F-35 for Western militaries, retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell, former senior commander in the U.K.'s Royal Air Force, previously told Newsweek.
Experts have said there are fourth-generation options, like the Eurofighter Typhoon, Sweden's Gripen jet or the French-made Rafale, that could be used differently to make up some gaps left by the F-35, if needed.
"Those who buy the F-35, we must offer them the Rafale," French President Emmanuel Macron said last month.
"There are mitigating alternatives to the current F-35 risk to consider, and this is what our political leaders are asking of us, military experts, before Canada puts all its eggs in the F-35 basket," Blondin said.
Canada announced in January 2023 that it would purchase 88 F-35s under "the largest investment in our Royal Canadian Air Force in 30 years." An initial 16 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2028.
The first deliveries are expected in 2026, the Canadian Defense Ministry spokesperson said.
Canada could use a combination of F-35s with a variety of other fighter jets like the Rafale, or the Gripen, to come up with "a better strategic, economic, and military posture while investing heavily in sixth-gen developments," the former commander added.
The U.K, Japan and Italy are jointly developing a sixth-generation aircraft under the Global Combat Air Program, while France, Germany, and Spain are plugging away with the Future Combat Air System.
The U.S.' efforts to create a manned, sixth-generation fighter have been part of its Next Generation Air Dominance program. Trump said last month that the sixth-generation manned aircraft would be known as the F-47, and a "toned-down" version could be available to the U.S.' allies down the line.
Sixth-generation aircraft are expected to focus on being even harder to detect, but also integrating drones, artificial intelligence, and upgraded weapons.
What People Are Saying
Retired Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin said that America's support for the F-35 program "has to be considered in the same light as the security of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty: it may or may not be there when needed, it is not under our control."
What Happens Next
It is not yet clear which way the U.S.' longtime allies will veer on F-35 purchases, and whether America's friends will attempt to hold on to enmeshed military cooperation with Washington, or forge ahead with developing their own, separate platforms.
Update 4/1/2025 at 9:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Canadian Defense Ministry.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more