Key Points and Summary – Unclassified documents reveal Canada is considering a massive, multi-billion-dollar investment in “loyal wingman” combat drones to support its controversial F-35 fighter jet program.
-This potential $16 billion plan reflects a global military trend, as allies like the US and adversaries like China are also developing unmanned aircraft to fly alongside crewed fighters.
-The move comes as Canada grapples with significant cost overruns on the F-35 itself, raising questions about whether this new drone initiative will solidify the fighter’s role or ignite a fresh procurement scandal over its high price tag and lengthy delays.
Unclassified Papers Reveal Canada’s Drone Strategy (And It Involves the F-35)
Unclassified papers obtained by The Canadian Press have revealed a multi-billion-dollar plan to bolster Canada’s air power with a fleet of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
According to the outlet, the drones will be designed to work alongside an incoming shipment of F-35 stealth strike fighters.
The documents reportedly suggest that the Canadian government is preparing to spend as much as $16 billion on a fleet of “wingmen” aerial combat drones, designed to fly alongside and support piloted aircraft in military settings.
Exactly what drones Canada is looking to purchase remains unclear. It’s also not certain that the Canadian government will follow through on the plans. Trends among Canadian allies, however, could indicate that the idea is being seriously considered.
The United States and Australia are already pursuing their own wingmen drone strategies.
What’s more, reports last week suggest that President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a “mega-deal” with Ukraine that would give the U.S. access to cutting-edge drone technology and battlefield experience, helping American forces integrate unmanned systems into modern aerial warfare.
Should Canada fail to invest now, it will quickly fall behind. In late 2024, China unveiled its own version of America’s “loyal wingmen” concept at the Zhuhai air show.
The Feihong FH-97A drone is designed to lead swarms of other, smaller drones, while also acting as a “wingman” to piloted aircraft.
The technology will ultimately make it easier to inflict major damage without risking pilots or advanced fighter jets in contested environments.
Going All-In On the F-35?
If Canada goes ahead with the plans, it could either signal an end to years of controversy over its planned procurement of F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin – or become the beginning of a whole new problem. After the plans were first announced in 2012, a combination of delays, wildly inaccurate cost estimates, and an overall lack of transparency turned the scheme into a national scandal.
Writing for National Security Journal, Andrew Latham described in June how Canada’s F-35 acquisition is expected to cost almost 50% more than originally advertised.
“According to Auditor-General Karen Hogan, the price tag has jumped from $19 billion Canadian dollars to 27.7 billion Canadian dollars – an $8.7 billion surge driven by inflation, foreign exchange pressures, and an overheated munitions and aerospace market,” Latham reported.
If the latest reports are accurate, it could either settle the matter of F-35 procurement or spark a new scandal in its wake. How it ultimately pans out will depend on a multitude of factors, ranging from the success of the new program to the accuracy of the cost estimates, and the speed at which the Canadian military can procure and integrate new drone technologies.
In the meantime, however, one thing is clear: Canada is committing fully to the F-35.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
The Best Tanks on Earth
AbramsX: The Tank the US Army Wants
