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The Canadian Armed Forces will participate in a ceremony in Texas on Monday to celebrate the imminent arrival of their first F-35 — as Ottawa has still yet to announce how many U.S.-made fighter jets it will ultimately buy.
The event comes as the future of the CF-18 replacement program is under review because of the ongoing trade and political disputes between Canada and the United States.
In his most recent salvo, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw certification and impose tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft. He has also recently threatened 100 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports if Ottawa “makes a deal with China.”
Monday’s ceremony will highlight the fact that Canada’s first F-35 is in the final stages of assembly on Lockheed Martin’s production line 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 to 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 is refusing to state what it will do with the remaining order of 72 fighters.
While the review was supposed to be completed last year, Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to make a decision on the future of the $27-billion program.
A reduction in 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 embarked on a public relations campaign to get the contract.
Defence expert Philippe Lagassé says the fighter jet issue illustrates the magnitude of the decisions facing Canada after Carney’s major speech in Switzerland.
“After the Davos speech, I expect to see a change in defence policy. Otherwise, I wonder if the prime minister really believes what he is saying, or if it’s rather a way to put pressure on the United States,” he said.
The secretary of state responsible for defence procurement, Stephen Fuhr, said the F-35 review was launched after Trump’s inauguration a year ago.
“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.”
The Canadian Armed Forces have already begun training their F-35 pilots and preparing infrastructure for the arrival of the 16 aircraft. Those jets will be fully operational by the early 2030s.
The Conservatives have been calling on Ottawa to buy all 88 F-35s, with MP Jeff Kibble saying it’s “the only aircraft capable of carrying out the operations required.”
“Our air force is calling for this aircraft and our allies are calling for this aircraft. What more does the prime minister need to see?” he asked in the House of Commons last week.
U.S. defence dependence
One of the main criticisms of the F-35 purchase is that it reinforces Canada’s dependence on the United States, even as the alliance between the two countries is eroding.
Lockheed Martin vigorously denies allegations that there is a “kill switch” in the F-35 that would allow the Americans to remotely disable the aircraft.
Several experts, however, argue the United States could control F-35 software updates or restrict access to spare parts, thereby undermining Canada’s control over its own 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-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
He added that Canada must take into account the fact that Trump is “erratic, unpredictable and shows little loyalty.”
“I cannot, in good conscience, say that we should go on with the F-35s while the American president is making threatening remarks about the Canadian and Quebec economy or Canadian and Quebec security,” said Blanchet.
He said that regardless of Canada’s decision, maintenance on Canadian fighter jets should continue at L3Harris’s facilities in Mirabel, Que.
In a recent interview with CBC News, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra played down the tensions and urged the Carney government to stick with the F-35.
Hoekstra said he considers the Gripen to be “inferior” to the F-35 and would not be as interoperable with other elements of American defence systems.
With the future of Canada’s fighter jet fleet being re-examined, CBC’s Murray Brewster breaks down the differences between the American F-35 and Sweden’s Gripen.
“If Canada is no longer going to provide that [capability], then we have to fill those gaps,” he said.
Lagassé said the debate highlights Canada’s ongoing reliance on American-made military equipment, whether it be aircraft, helicopters, combat systems or communications and GPS devices.
Choosing the Gripen would illustrate a shift toward European military procurement.
But whether or not Canada buys 88 F-35s, he said, it would take decades for Canada to obtain real military independence from the U.S. In that context, the way Canada decides to spend billions in additional military spending in the coming years will be crucial.
“We are rebuilding the Canadian Forces that are still almost completely integrated with American forces,” he said.
“It’s easy to give a speech. It’s another thing to change policies.”
Source: cbc
