TORONTO — Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked Defense Minister Bill Blair to review the purchase of America’s F-35 fighter jet to see whether there are other options “given the changing environment,” a spokesman for Blair said Saturday.
Defense ministry press secretary Laurent de Casanove said the contract to purchase U.S. military contractor Lockheed Martin’s F-35 currently remains in place and Canada has made a legal commitment of funds for the first 16 aircraft. Canada agreed to buy 88 F-35’s two years ago.
Carney, who was sworn in Friday, has asked Blair to work with the military “to determine if the F-35 contract, as it stands, is the best investment for Canada, and if there are other options that could better meet Canada’s needs,” De Casanove said.
“To be clear, the F-35 contract has not been canceled, but we need to do our homework given the changing environment, and make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces,” De Casanove said.
President Trump has declared a trade war on Canada and has threatened economic coercion to make it the 51st state. Trump’s threats have infuriated Canadians.
The government had budgeted about $19 billion Canadian for the F-35 purchase in what is the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. The full life cycle of the program is expected to cost $70 billion Canadian.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the company values its strong history with the Royal Canadian Air Force and said “questions about Canada’s procurement of the F-35 are best addressed by the Canadian and U.S. governments.”
The agreement to buy 88 jets came in 2023 as then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was set to meet with then-President Biden.
Gillies writes for the Associated Press.