TORONTO (AP) — Canada has finalized an agreement with Lockheed Martin and the United States government to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets, Canadian officials said Monday.
Delivery of the first four aircraft is expected to take place in 2026 and full operational capability for the fleet is planned between 2032 and 2034.
The government has budgeted around C$19 billion ($15 billion) for the purchase, marking the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. Each plane costs around 85 million dollars. The full life cycle of the program is expected to be around C$70 billion ($52 billion).
Canada has a close defense relationship with the United States, which includes the joint use of fighter jets to defend North American airspace. The announcement comes as Trudeau prepares to meet US President Joe Biden at the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico.
Last year, the government announced that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet was considered the highest bidder to replace the aging F-18s, instead of Boeing’s Super Hornet. Meanwhile, Canada purchased a number of Australian F-18s to help extend the life of the Canadian F-18 program to 2032.
Before becoming prime minister, Trudeau had claimed that Canada would not buy the F-35. The then Conservative Canadian government had announced the purchase of the F-35, but Trudeau’s Liberal government delayed that purchase and opened the bidding to competition.
“As our world grows darker with Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, and China’s increasingly assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific, this project has taken on greater importance, especially the importance of interoperability. with our allies,” Defense Minister Anita Anand said.
