Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has frozen the broader Lockheed Martin F-35A purchase, committing to only 16 of an originally agreed 88 jets in a 2023 deal worth roughly C$19 billion. Ottawa is reportedly weighing Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen-E as an alternative with potential domestic assembly. The Pentagon paused U.S. participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense on May 18 — the bilateral forum created under the 1940 Ogdensburg Agreement that laid groundwork for NORAD. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby tied the move to Carney’s January Davos speech urging middle powers to cooperate. Erin O’Toole called the suspension profoundly misguided. Republican Rep. Don Bacon agreed.
Canada’s F-35 Debate Is Creating Drama
U.S. Air Force Maj. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, the pilot for the F-35A Demonstration Team, performs aerial maneuvers in a USAF F-35A Lightning II during the first day of the airshow at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, on 18 October, 2024. The Demo Team performs at various airshows across the globe to display the power, agility, and lethality of America’s 5th generation fighter jet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)
The Pentagon has suspended U.S. participation in a historic defense board with Canada – the latest in a long line of flashpoints in the increasingly strained relationship between Washington and Ottawa.
The Department of Defense this week paused its role in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, a bilateral forum created in 1940 under the Ogdensburg Agreement, on May 18.
The board has long served as a mechanism for U.S.-Canada defense coordination, helping shape continental security planning during and after the Second World War.
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby announced the move on X, saying the Pentagon would “reassess” whether the forum still benefits shared North American defense strategies.
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II takes off at RAF Lakenheath, England, Sept. 16, 2024. The 48th Fighter Wing dedicates allotted flying hours during hours of darkness to ensure Airmen are prepared to deter potential adversaries and defend NATO territory anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexander Vasquez)
Colby’s work has been termed “realist”, and he has argued that China is the foremost military threat to the West.
“A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all,” Colby wrote. “Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments,” he went on.
The Permanent Joint Board on Defense is not the only channel for U.S.-Canadian military cooperation, nor necessarily the most important today. But its roots do run deep.
The forum helped lay the foundations for later continental defense structures, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.
That is why the suspension is being read in Ottawa as more than just another bureaucratic tweak.
It comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government continues to reassess Canada’s planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets, a deal signed in 2023 and valued at roughly C$19 billion.
A Swedish Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen climbs during the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, England, July 20, 2019. This year, RIAT commemorated the 70th anniversary of NATO and highlighted the United States’ enduring commitment to its European allies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Aaron Thomasson)
So far, Canada has committed to only 16 of the aircraft, while Saab has pitched its Gripen-E fighter as an alternative that could involve domestic assembly and therefore more jobs on Canadian soil.
F-35 Frozen Over ‘Supply Chain’ Worries
SOFX reported that Carney froze the broader F-35 plan over concerns about U.S. supply chains.
Those concerns have grown as Canada seeks to reduce its reliance on Washington and build deeper defense ties with European and other allied partners.
The Pentagon’s decision, therefore, lands at a particularly sensitive moment. Earlier this year, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said canceling the entire F-35 order could prompt major shifts in NORAD because the F-35 jets offer much smoother cooperation and interoperability in the command system.
Carney has attempted to assuage concerns about the suspension’s real effects.
Speaking at a media conference in Quebec on Tuesday, the Prime Minister explained that Canada did not intend to stop cooperating with the United States.
However, he suggested that this could also occur while Canada continued to diversify its defense relationships.
JAS 39 Gripen Fighter From Sweden. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
According to The Hill, he particularly stressed that Canada would work with other partners, including in offering support to Ukraine as it continues to face its grinding conflict with Russia.
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty also pointed to recent military investments and said Canada would work with “trusted partners who are ready to work with us.”
Ottawa argues that it is already moving forward on its defense spending.
Carney’s government claims that Canada has now reached NATO’s 2 percent of GDP target and has committed to allocating 3.5 percent of GDP directly to military spending by 2035, less than the broader 5 percent alliance framework.
Carney’s Davos Misstep?
Still, this does not mean Washington is satisfied.
Indeed, Colby linked his scathing criticism to Carney’s January address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Canadian prime minister urged “middle powers” to work together as rivalries among larger powers continued to expand.
F-35 Fighters Ready. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
This row also reflects a broader deterioration in U.S.-Canada relations since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Trump has repeatedly accused Canada of unfair trade practices and has even suggested the country could become the 51st U.S. state.
The erstwhile leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, Erin O’Toole, has slammed the Pentagon’s latest decision as “profoundly misguided.”
e posited that Canada is a vital ally of the U.S., which shares its “values of liberty.”
American Republican Rep. Don Bacon also criticized the move, stating that insults toward Canada had only resulted in “animosity” rather than helping to improve the tense relationship.
The question now is how much longer this bickering can go on, and what the world will look like once it is finally resolved?
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About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
