Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked for a review of Canada’s deal with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin to purchase F-35 fighter jets.
Canada’s deal with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government involves the purchase of 88 planes, with a price tag of about US$85 million each.
A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair said that Carney, who was sworn in as the new prime minister on March 14, has asked Blair to look into whether the deal is the best for Canada or if there might be better options.
“We need to do our homework given the changing environment, and make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces,” Blair’s press secretary Laurent de Casanove said.
The defence minister’s office made clear that the contract currently remains intact, and that Canada is legally committed to purchasing the first 16 units.
Carney’s review request comes in the midst of trade tensions between Canada and the United States. The Trump administrations has put on 25 percent tariffs on Canadian products, with some paused until April 2, while Canada has retaliated with tariffs on close to $60 billion worth of American goods.
Last week, Portugal’s outgoing defence minister also said his country was considering other options to replenish its aging fighter jet fleet, and may replace its F-16 fleet with European models rather than American ones.
“This ally of ours, that has behaved in a predictable fashion for decades, could impose limits on the use, maintenance, components, and all that is linked to having the aircraft operational,” Defence Minister Nuno Melo said.
Portugal’s government is on its way out after it was defeated in a non-confidence motion on March 11.
On March 14, Portugal’s defence ministry said it was not ruling out buying F-35s, but that they were being considered along with “different models available in Europe.” The ministry said it was still in the preliminary stages of the process.
It was considered the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 30 years.
Ottawa estimated the cost for the project to be $19.8 billion. The price tag included associated equipment, sustainment setup and services, and construction of fighter squadron facilities.
