Canadian military goes to US for F-35 ceremony despite renewed trade disputes
Listen to this article
Average 5 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
The Canadian Armed Forces will participate in a ceremony in Texas on Monday to celebrate the arrival of its first F-35 – as Ottawa has yet to announce how many US military aircraft it will eventually buy.
The event comes as the future of the CF-18 replacement program is under review due to ongoing trade and political disputes between Canada and the United States.
In his latest salvo, US President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke certification and impose tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft. He also threatened a 100 percent tariff on all Canadian imports if Ottawa “makes a deal with China.”
Monday’s event will highlight the fact that Canada’s first F-35 is in the final stages of production at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth.
With a black pen, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, will sign the fuselage bulkhead that will be installed on the first Canadian F-35.
According to the Department of National Defence, the event will serve to “highlight another production milestone” for the aircraft, which will be delivered to the RCAF later this year.
Lockheed Martin organizes these ceremonies for each allied country that orders F-35s.
Canada has a contract to buy 16 F-35s, but the government refuses to say what it will do with the remaining order for 72 fighters.
Although the review was due to be completed last year, Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to make a decision on the future of the £27 billion scheme.
Canceling the F-35 order would send a strong foreign policy message to the United States.
The remaining jets could be replaced by Saab’s Gripen fighters. Both the Swedish aerospace company and its government have launched a public relations campaign to secure the contract.
Defense expert Philippe Lagassé says the issue of the military plane shows the magnitude of the decisions facing Canada after Carney’s big speech in Switzerland.
“After Davos’ speech, I expect to see a change in defense policy. Besides, I wonder if the prime minister really believes what he is saying, or if it is a way to put pressure on the United States,” he said.
Secretary of State for Defense Acquisition, Stephen Fuhr, said the F-35 review was launched after Trump’s inauguration last year.
“We live in a different world,” he said. “What’s being reviewed is what the future looks like, and again, we haven’t made a decision yet.”
The Canadian military has begun training F-35 pilots and preparing the infrastructure for the landing of 16 aircraft. Those jets will be fully operational in the early 2030s.
The Conservatives have been asking Ottawa to buy all 88 F-35s, with MP Jeff Kibble saying “it’s the only aircraft that can do the missions that are needed.”
“Our air force called this plane and our allies called this plane. What else should the prime minister see?” he asked at the Royal House last week.
Defense dependence on the US
One of the main criticisms of the F-35 purchase is that it strengthens Canada’s dependence on the United States, as the alliance between the two countries deteriorates.
Lockheed Martin has vehemently denied allegations that there is an “off switch” on the F-35 that would allow the Americans to disable the aircraft remotely.
Several experts, however, say the United States could control software updates for the F-35 or limit access to spare parts, thereby undermining Canada’s control over its fighter fleet.
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet says Canada is right to take its time to evaluate all its options, especially on the eve of the renegotiation of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement.
He added that Canada must consider the fact that Trump is “fallible, unpredictable and shows little credibility.”
“I cannot, in good conscience, say that we should continue with the F-35s while the American president is making threatening statements about the economy of Canada and Quebec or the security of Canada and Quebec,” Blanchet said.
He said that regardless of the decision in Canada, the maintenance of Canadian military aircraft should continue at the L3Harris facilities in Mirabel, Que.
In a recent interview with CBC News, US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra played down the tensions and urged the Carney government to stick with the F-35.
Hoekstra said he considered the Gripen “inferior” to the F-35 and would not cooperate with other aspects of the US defense systems.
As the future of Canada’s military aircraft is reassessed, CBC’s Murray Brewster breaks down the differences between the American F-35 and Sweden’s Gripen.
“If Canada is not going to give you that [capability]we have to close those gaps,” he said.
Lagassé said the debate highlights Canada’s continued reliance on American-made military equipment, be it airplanes, helicopters, combat systems or communications and GPS equipment.
Choosing the Gripen would signal a shift to European military procurement.
But whether Canada buys 88 F-35s or not, it will take decades for Canada to gain true military independence from the U.S. In that context, how Canada decides to spend billions on additional military spending in the coming years will be important.
“We’re rebuilding a Canadian Forces that is still almost entirely integrated with the American military,” he said.
“It’s easy to give a speech. It’s another thing to change policies.”
