The future fighter debate

Saab’s fighter jet offer must be music to the ears of those Canadians who truly want to send a message of patriotic defiance to the White House.
The fight over who gets to replace Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets heated up recently, writes Scott Taylor.DND photograph by Sgt. Norm McLean
Opinion
BY SCOTT TAYLOR
November 24, 2025

OTTAWA—For the senior brass at the Royal Canadian Air Force, there is no question whatsoever that they want the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning as the replacement for their aging fleet of CF-18 Hornet fighter planes. 

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