The F-35 and the politics of procurement

The Air Force brass are signalling that they intend to proceed with only the F-35 even as our prime minister tries to use this deal to leverage trade negotiations with the U.S.

Although the passage of time has revealed several new weaknesses in the F-35 project, the Air Force seems determined to plow ahead, writes Scott Taylor. U.S. Air Force photograph by Samuel King Jr.

Opinion

BY SCOTT TAYLOR

March 30, 2026

OTTAWA—It has long been clear that the senior brass of the Royal Canadian Air Force want to replace their aged-out fleet of CF-18 Hornet fighter jets with Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning fighters—and only the F-35.

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