Key Points and Summary – Newly released data from Canada’s 2021 Future Fighter Capability Project show just how lopsided the country’s jet competition really was: the F-35 scored 57.1 out of 60 points, while Saab’s Gripen E managed just 19.8.
-In mission performance, the Lightning II posted a stunning 97–22 edge and scored a perfect 100 percent on growth and upgrade potential.
Capt. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, banks hard left making vapor trails over and behind the wings during a practice demonstration at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Mar. 23, 2021. The demonstration team is part of Air Combat Command and is assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB. Capt. Wolfe grew up a military child as the daughter of retired Col. Jon Wolfe and has flown the T-6 Texan II, T-38 Talon, F-22 Raptor and now the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alex R. Lloyd)
-Yet Ottawa is again flirting with reopening the debate, driven by politics, industrial benefits, and discomfort with dependence on Washington.
-The question now is whether Canada will prioritize jobs and symbolism—or the F-35’s unmatched ability to defend the Arctic and fly with allies.
The F-35 Was The Clear Winner In Canada’s Fighter Competition
This week saw another turn in the saga over Canada’s choice to go through with its planned purchase of 88 F-35 stealth fighters, or equip the Royal Canadian Air Force instead with Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighters.
According to data released by Radio Canada, in the 2021 Future Fighter Capability Project, the Lockheed Martin F-35 dominated the JAS-39 Gripen by a wide margin in all capability categories. The documents show the F-35 scored 57.1 out of 60 points, while the Gripen E scored 19.8 points.
F-35A Dominated JAS-39 Gripen in Mission Performance
While both aircraft met Canada’s mandatory requirements, the F-35’s superior performance dominated all competition across the test’s operational criteria.
Representatives from each of the manufacturing giants claimed they had never seen the evaluation data before Radio Canada released the figures.
A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II resumes a combat air patrol after aerial refueling with a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Sept. 19, 2025. More than a fighter jet, the F-35’s ability to collect, analyze and share data, is a powerful force multiplier that enhances all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Keegan Putman)
Most compelling was the mission performance metric; the F-35 scored a 97-to-22 percent advantage over the Gripen.
The gap widens further when considering the ability to continually upgrade an aircraft across its lifecycle: The F-35 scored 100 percent, compared with the Gripen’s 28.
What Does Ottawa Do Now?
It’s been clear that the past two Canadian administrations are looking for any excuse to move away from the U.S. and the F-35 program. U.S. President Donald Trump has ruffled more than a few feathers in Canada with tariffs and talk of making Canada the 51st state.
Canada initially opted for the F-35 in 2010. Justin Trudeau ran for Prime Minister in 2015, and the F-35 was a significant issue in the election. Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party, promised that an “open and transparent competition” to choose a more affordable aircraft would take place. In late October 2015, Trudeau won election by a large margin. A year later, his administration announced that Canada would purchase 18 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as “interim” fighters, stating that flying CF-18 Hornets past their lifespan “would be imprudent and irresponsible”. But in early 2017, the government announced that it would not pursue the Super Hornet deal. Canadian pilots are still flying the CF-18.
Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and two Dassault Rafales assigned to the 1/4 Gascogne Fighter Squadron, 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson air base, France, break formation during flight May 18, 2021 over France. The flight was apart of the Atlantic Trident 21 exercise which is a joint, multinational exercise involving service members from the U.S., France and the U.K., and is aimed at enhancing fourth and fifth generation integration, combat readiness and fighting capabilities, through conducting complex air operations in a contested multinational joint force environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Cook)
On June 7, 2017, the new Strong, Secure, Engaged defense policy reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to procure 88 new advanced fighter aircraft for the RCAF.
On Jan. 9, 2023, the Canadian government announced that it had finalized an agreement with the U.S. government and industrial partners to acquire F-35 fighter jets:
“Canada is confident that the F-35 represents the best fighter jet for our country at the best price for Canadians,” the government said.
The first eight aircraft would be delivered to the F-35A Pilot Training Center in Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, to enable the training of RCAF pilots while the Department of National Defence completes the necessary infrastructure to support aircraft delivery in Canada.
The first aircraft are expected to be delivered to Luke AFB in 2026 and arrive in Canada in 2028.
After the war of words between President Trump and Canadian government officials, on March 14 this year, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced that Ottawa was looking at potential alternatives to the F-35.
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 495th Fighter Squadron taxis pre-flight during exercise Combined Strike 25 at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Aug. 20, 2025. Combined Strike 25 is a readiness training with RAF Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing F-15s and F-35s alongside Aviano’s 31st Fighter Wing F-16s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joseph Bartoszek)
This would necessitate another decade of procurement processes that would set back the RCAF even further.
Now that Radio Canada just demonstrated there is no competition at all between the F-35 and the JAS-39 Gripen, what will the government decide?
Retired RCAF General Speaks Out
Former RCAF commander Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin emphasized the high stakes involved in choosing a frontline combat aircraft.
“If we send our sons and daughters into combat, it will be in these aircraft,” Blondin said in an interview with Montréal’s 98.5 FM.
“If you put them in an F-35 against Chinese or Russian jets in the Arctic, the aircraft scores 95 percent. If you put them in a Gripen, it’s 33 percent. That should be the first factor we consider when deciding which fighters to buy.”
The Department of National Defence compiled the data released by Radio Canada, but it remains non-committal despite the overwhelming evidence.
Asked to comment on the results of the competition, the DND said the review of the F-35 purchase is “ongoing.”
David Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, stated that “The capability assessment here says that there is a clear-cut winner, no contest, no ambiguity,” he said. “I’d expected that the F-35 was going to be a clear winner, but this is a winner by a mile.”
Justin Massie, a defense expert at the Université du Québec à Montréal, asked the question, “Do we want a less capable aircraft for Canada?”
The Israelis Showed The True Worth of the F-35
The capabilities and combat performance of the F-35 are impossible to ignore.
The F-35 is much more than a fighter; it’s an intelligence-gathering, stealth-enabled, data-fusing node designed to operate as part of a larger, digitally integrated force. That’s exactly what Canada needs to defend the Arctic, support NORAD, and carry out the kinds of coalition operations it claims to want to engage in.
Four F-35s can cover the same territory as several dozen fourth-generation fighters such as the Gripen or Rafale.
The F-35 Lightning II’s calling card is being a mobile sensor platform that can assess the effectiveness of an entire fleet—a whole military front—by sharing data and coordinating information to ensure the situational awareness of every warfighter.
Advanced sensor fusion automatically analyzes data from sensors embedded throughout the aircraft and merges it into relevant information for pilots. This gives F-35 pilots an integrated, intuitive view of their surroundings that greatly enhances survivability, effectiveness, and interoperability.
The F-35’s advanced AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar is the most capable in the world. Long-range active and passive air-to-air and air-to-ground modes support a full range of missions.
During Operation Rising Lion, the F-35’s stealth capabilities were put to the test against Iran’s rebuilt layered air-defense network, which included Russian-made S-300 systems and Iran’s domestically produced Bavar-373.
The Israelis destroyed Iranian air defenses and achieved air dominance over the skies of Tehran, flying over the city in broad daylight.
Saab, however, continues to push for the Gripen. The company is currently in discussions with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier over a joint production agreement, something the Carney administration has signaled remains a core criterion in the review.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said last week the government is looking at switching to the Gripen for most of its fleet if Lockheed Martin does not improve the contract’s economic benefits to Canada.
“We believe that we didn’t get enough when it comes to the F-35,” Joly said to the news media on Parliament Hill.
“The industrial benefits are not enough. There needs to be more jobs created out of the F-35 contract. That’s clear to me and clear to this government,” she added.
Joly’s critics argue that it isn’t the minister of industry’s role to define Canada’s military needs. Defense policy isn’t about jobs.
The results of the competition will not change anyone’s mind, however. The proponents of the F-35 will argue that there is only one choice, while the F-35’s critics will say the competition was skewed in the F-35’s favor to begin with.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
