Kelowna 
Canada has finalized an agreement with the United States government and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney to acquire F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), says Defence Minister Anita Anand.
The CF-18 Demonstration team aircraft/Photo credit – Derek Heyes/RCAF
A new fleet of 88 advanced fighter jets, F-35 jets, for the RCAF will be purchased, and according to the news release, the first deliveries of these aircraft are anticipated to begin in 2026.
Canada says this is the largest investment in the RCAF in the past 30 years.
The total estimated investment for this project is $19 billion which includes associated equipment, sustainment set-up and services, and the construction of Fighter Squadron Facilities in Bagotville and Cold Lake.
Canada launched the competitive process to acquire new fighter jets in 2017.
Proposals were invited from:
- Sweden—SAAB AB (publ)—Aeronautics
- United Kingdom and Northern Ireland—Airbus Defense and Space GmbH (with MBDA UK Limited, L3 Technologies MAS and CAE Canada)
- United States—Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company) (with Pratt and Whitney)
- United States—The Boeing Company (with Peraton Canada Corp., CAE Inc., L3 Technologies MAS Inc., GE Canada and Raytheon Canada Limited Services and Support Division)
The federal government says the F-35 project has the potential to contribute over $425 million annually to Canada’s gross domestic product and close to 3,300 jobs annually for Canadian industry over 25 years.
F-35 fighter jets will replace the aging fleet of CF-18 fighter aircraft.
Announcing the agreement, Anita Anand said, “In today’s complex global environment, Canada requires a military that is flexible, agile and capable of responding to a variety of unforeseen situations. We are committed to ensuring that our current and future aviators have the most advanced equipment possible to do just that. Canada requires a fighter fleet to contribute to the safety and security of Canadians and protect the sovereignty of one of the largest expanses of airspace in the world.”
Canada anticipates full operational capability with the entire fleet of F-35s between 2032 and 2034.
