Canada's years-long search for new fighter jets came full circle on Monday, January 9, 2023, as Defence Minister Anita Anand officially confirmed the planned purchase of a fleet of F-35s to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's aging CF-18s.
Days after Airbus Defence and Space pulled out of the $19-billion race to replace Canada's aging fighter jets, the only European firm still eligible to compete says it has not decided whether it will.
Canada's multibillion-dollar effort to buy new fighter jets has taken another surprise turn with European aerospace giant Airbus announcing it has withdrawn from the high-stakes competition.
The federal government is planning to loosen its industrial requirements for fighter-jet makers in the $19-billion competition to replace Canada's aging CF-18s.
The Trudeau government pressed ahead with its plan to buy second-hand fighter jets from Australia on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, despite withering fire from the federal auditor general, who warned that the military might not have anybody to fly them.
The Trudeau government won't buy equipment from military suppliers "responsible for harming Canada's economic interests," even when that harm was caused by unrelated business activity, ministers declared Dec. 12.
P.M. Justin Trudeau came out swinging Friday, May 19, 2017 against the U.S. government over its investigation into a trade dispute between U.S. aerospace giant Boeing and Canadian rival Bombardier.
Canada has so far forked over more than $311 million to develop the F-35 — without any guarantee it will actually buy the multibillion-dollar stealth fighter.