DefenseA day after Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo said the country had abandoned plans to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, Canada announced it is looking for alternatives to the 5th generation aircraft.
Bill Blair, who was reappointed as Canadian Defense Minister, said on March 14 that the government is evaluating fighter jets other than the F-35.
“It was the fighter jet identified by our air force as the platform that they required, but we are also examining other alternatives — whether we need all of those fighter jets to be F-35,” Blair said in an interview.
After years of delays, the Royal Canadian Air Force has selected the F-35A to replace its Boeing CF-188 Hornet fighters.
A total of 88 fighter jets were ordered in January 2023 for around US$19 billion.
However, controversial statements by US President Donald Trump, who threatened to annex Canada amid the announcement of import taxes, have made Canadians rethink their relations with their neighbouring country.
The change in stance towards NATO has also caused the other countries in the military alliance to rethink their defence strategies, seeking greater independence from the US.
Breach of contract
However, unlike Portugal, which had only announced its choice of the Lockheed Martin fighter last year, Canada would have to break a contract for which it had already paid for 16 F-35 fighters and face penalties.
The first aircraft are expected in 2026 and opting for another fighter would delay the entire programme considerably.
Furthermore, Canada is a major partner in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which gave rise to the F-35.
One possibility would be to accept the first batch of fighters and then seek other aircraft such as the Saab Gripen E/F, which participated in the RCAF competition.
Despite the anticipated difficulties, several Western countries are rethinking their strategies in search of partnerships with allies they can trust.
Europe, in particular, has been moving towards self-sufficiency in defense as a way to divest Russia after its military invasion of Ukraine.
