In 2022, Ottawa agreed to a massive multi-billion-dollar deal to buy 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets from the United States to modernize its air fleet and bring the Royal Canadian Air Force into better interoperability with its US counterpart.
According to the Independent, Canada originally committed to funding 16 F-35s with the option to fund the full 88 fighter jets. However, cost overruns and production issues then quickly began to plague the fighter jet program.
A 2025 audit of the deal reportedly found that costs had risen from $19 billion dollars to $27 billion dollars. Rising tensions with the United States following President Trump’s return to power resulted in Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for the F-35 deal with the US to be reviewed.
Canada has widened the net of possible fighter jets that it could adopt instead of the F-35, which now includes Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen E fighter, a Swedish airframe. Unfortunately, if Canada opts to buy the Gripen over the F-35, it will cause more issues with Washington and the Trump administration.