The politics of procurement

We should take the 16 F-35s already contracted and scrap the deal for the remainder, and build the 66 Gripen fighters on offer in Canada.

U.S. Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. Given that the hourly flying cost of a Gripen is estimated at between $8,000 and $22,000, and the F-35s burn through $34,000 to $42,000 per hour, this purchase review should be a no-brainer, writes Scott Taylor.Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo Sr.

Opinion

BY SCOTT TAYLOR

June 22, 2026

OTTAWA—On June 15, the CBC ran a news item by reporter David Common entitled "What Canada's fighter jet decision could mean for NORAD."

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