CNN –
Canada is buying 88 F-35 stealth fighter jets in a $14.2 billion deal announced Monday by the Ottawa government.
The first U.S.-made aircraft are expected to enter the Royal Canadian Air Force in 2026 with the full fleet operational in 2033 or 2034, a Canadian government press release said.
With the deal, Canada becomes the last of the eight original F-35 program partners to acquire the fifth-generation fighter, considered one of the world’s best fighter jets.
“In today’s complex global environment, Canada needs a military that is flexible, agile and able to respond to a variety of unforeseen situations,” Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.
“As the international rules-based order is challenged around the world, the F-35 will be essential to protect Canadians, enhance Arctic security and national sovereignty, and enable Canada to meet its obligations of NATO, NORAD and other obligations in the future.” said the statement.
NORAD is a joint US-Canadian command that provides air and missile defense in North America.
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin has seen a surge in interest in the F-35 over the past year, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Germany, Switzerland and Finland made deals for the F-35 by 2022, while NATO allies Greece and the Czech Republic also announced requests to buy the stealth fighters.
In addition to the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, F-35s are also in or will soon be in the fleets of Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Korea of the South, Israel, Poland, Belgium and Singapore.
The planes come in three versions, the standard F-35A, the vertical takeoff and landing F-35B, and the aircraft carrier version, the F-35C.
Canada will buy the F-35A model to replace its aging CF-18s.
“Canada needs a fighter fleet to protect the sovereignty of one of the largest stretches of airspace in the world” — the country’s vast Arctic border — Anand said.
To that end, the $14.2 billion (C$19 billion) price tag includes the construction of two air bases in Alberta and Quebec, and associated equipment and services, the government said.
The announcement said the program is expected to generate 3,300 jobs annually over 25 years and contribute $310 million (C$425 million) annually to the country’s gross domestic product.
As an original member of the F-35 program, Canadian industry has so far seen $2.8 billion in contracts related to building the fighter jet, the government said.