Article Summary – A dozen retired Royal Canadian Air Force and CAF leaders have written to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging him not to walk away from Canada’s plan to buy 88 F-35s.
-They argue the stealth jet is the only fighter that truly meets NORAD and NATO needs and warn that swapping part of the fleet for Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen — despite its promised 10,000 jobs — would be a political stunt that weakens combat power.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, performs for F-135 engine maintainers assigned to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., May 25, 2021. The F-35A Demonstration Team put on the performance for the maintainers as a show of appreciation for keeping F-35s throughout the Department of Defense running and in the sky. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Thomas Barley)
A split F-35/Gripen fleet, they say, would drive up costs, strain scarce pilots and technicians, and leave Canada less capable in a real war.
Canadian Armed Forces Officers Step Up For The F-35
Twelve former high-ranking officers of the Canadian Armed Forces are trying to save the planned acquisition of 88 American F-35 stealth fighters, hoping to put an end to the ongoing courtship between the Canadian government and the Swedish firm Saab.
Saab has offered to build the JAS-39 Gripen fighter in Canada, promising 10,000 aerospace manufacturing jobs will come along with the aircraft. The Gripen lost a competition with the F-35 in 2023.
Due to political tensions and strained relations with US President Trump, the administration of Mark Carney has once again put the F-35 acquisition on hold.
According to Radio-Canada, a dozen former high-ranking officers of the Royal Canadian Air Force sent a letter to the federal government reiterating the benefits of acquiring a full fleet of F-35s to meet Canada’s military needs.
The letter comes on the heels of comments by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who said Tuesday that Canada has been “shortchanged on industrial benefits” out of its contract with Lockheed Martin to purchase American-made F-35 stealth fighter jets.
“We believe that we didn’t get enough when it comes to the F-35,” Joly said to the news media on Parliament Hill.
Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team commander and pilot performs a dedication pass in an F-35A Lightning II during the 2019 Wings Over Wayne Airshow April 27, 2019, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The WOW Airshow marks the third public performance of the F-35 Demo Team’s new aerial demonstration during 2019 airshow season.
“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.
The F-35 Fiasco, Ottawa Brought Upon Itself:
The F-35 program has evolved, with foreign ally nations joining in. Those partners include Canada, which indeed was the first nation to sign on. Canada’s contribution was $160 million, which allowed Canadian firms to bid for and acquire contracts for parts and components. Between 1997 and 2021, these contracts generated $1.3 billion.
Canada opted to buy 88 F-35s. Its planned purchase held up even after 2015, when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party government canceled the purchase and reopened a search for a fighter jet to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s obsolescent CF-18s.
The F-35, however, remained among the possible choices, and the Trudeau government in 2022 belatedly ate crow, saying it would purchase 88 Lightning IIs for $19 billion.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is expected to have a squadron operational in 2029 and all aircraft in hand by 2032. The first 16 F-35s, already paid for, are scheduled to arrive in 2026.
Carney Election And Trump War Of Words:
Shortly after being elected this past spring, Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the $27.7 billion purchase from Lockheed Martin for the F-35.
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II performs during the Fairchild Skyfest 2024 airshow at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, June 23, 2024. Team Fairchild hosted the Skyfest 2024 airshow June 22 and 23 to thank the local community for their support and partnerships. During the event, attendees observed performances by the A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration team, Wings of Blue parachute team, UH-1N Huey and various other aerial acts, as well as static displays. Events like SkyFest allow communities within the Inland Northwest to witness U.S. military air capabilities and the Air Force’s premier air refueling wing in action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Arachikavitz)
Carney, who won the April election on a promise to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump, had requested the review by military officials in March because Canada was over-reliant on the U.S. defense industry. But in reality, the issue had more to do with Trump’s stance on tariffs and his calls for Canada to become the 51st state.
“We have alternatives to the F-35, so we will explore those, as the ministers of defense and procurement will explore how the F-35 program could be adjusted, including greater investment here in Canada, greater production here in Canada,” Carney said at a press conference.
“The prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada,” Defense Minister Bill Blair said.
Former Defense Chief Lawson Among Signers Of Letter To Carney
According to Radio Canada’s sources, the letter’s signatories include Tom Lawson, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces from 2012 to 2015.
Lawson refused to comment on the letter, but raised questions about plans to purchase Gripen fighter jets in an interview with CBC News.
“Unfortunately, regarding the F-35, there just is nothing available in the free world that comes close to the quality of the F-35,” he said.
“The F-35 is so far beyond anything that the Gripen can provide that anything you’d be saving in terms of money by going to a second fleet would be lost, because that fleet would be close to useless in a wartime situation.”
Dutch F-35s and Polish MiG-29s train together over Poland as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission
“It really does make us nervous as we watch our elected officials romance the Swedes in this case,” Lawson said.
He was referencing a state visit to Canada by top Swedish officials, including Defense Minister Pal Jonson, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, and the Swedish monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf, adding to speculation that a deal over the Gripens could be in the offing, as Saab tries to seal the deal with an offer of building a new assembly line in Canada, with a promise of 10,000 jobs.
He added that, with ongoing shortages of pilots and technicians, buying a secondary fleet of Gripen fighter jets would only worsen resource problems within the CAF.
Mixing Air Fleets Is Expensive
Due to the 16-aircraft commitment to the F-35, changing the remaining 72 aircraft to non-US manufacturers would be very expensive, requiring additional supplies, maintenance, and training facilities.
Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, the new commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, was put on the spot regarding her support for a mixed fleet of fighters.
She effectively dodged the questions by stating that the Air Force will be required to manage two fleets during the introduction of the F-35, as the current CF-18s are expected to continue flying until the early 2030s.
Speiser-Blanchet, however, stated that operating two separate fleets would be more costly and complicated. “It would duplicate a certain amount of infrastructure and training,” she said.
“If we need more fighter capability, buy more F-35s,” Lawson said.
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.
