OTTAWA -- Canada has begun making payments for long-lead components for 14 additional F-35 fighter jets, even as the Carney government continues reviewing its future fighter procurement amid ongoing trade tensions with the U.S., sources told CBC News. These payments are separate from Canada’s confirmed order of 16 F-35s, the first of which are scheduled for delivery to the Canadian Armed Forces later this year.
The long-lead purchases are required to secure Canada’s position in the production line and avoid delays or displacement by other buyers. The expenditures have not been publicly disclosed, and the Department of National Defence has declined to confirm new financial commitments, citing the ongoing review. The reassessment was launched in response to U.S. tariffs and political friction with the Trump administration.
Ottawa is weighing options that include proceeding with the full planned purchase of 88 F-35s or adopting a mixed fleet that could include European fighters, such as Saab’s Gripen, potentially assembled in Canada. Experts say the growing financial commitments make reversing course increasingly difficult.
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