Canada Is In An F-35 Dilemma And It's Anything But Stealthy

The F-35 Lightning II is one of the world's most advanced stealth fighters, and it's highly coveted by America's allies around the world. While many countries operate their own F-35 wings, Canada doesn't, though it has expressed an interest in acquiring them in the past. The nation committed to purchasing 88 aircraft, but that order has yet to go through for a variety of reasons.

The problem for Canada is primarily centered around cost, as the initial order placed in 2022 has grown significantly. That deal was announced at $19 billion for 88 F-35s, but as of writing, the cost is projected to be as high as $27.7 billion. That's hardly insignificant, leading Canada to look elsewhere for replacements for its sizable aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets.

Not only is the cost higher than originally agreed upon, but the date of delivery was pushed from 2028 to 2031. In March 2025, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair revealed that Canada was looking at alternatives to the F-35. This was echoed in May by Prime Minister Mark Carney in what Newsweek called Canada's "F-35 nightmare." According to Carney, Canada is still legally responsible for 16 of the planned 88 stealth fighters. Still, given how things have progressed — or rather, stalled — it's possible Canada will either cut the order in half or walk away from the deal entirely.

Tensions between the United States and Canada have ramped up under the Trump administration, which has discussed annexing its neighbor. While this is likely bluster, Canadians aren't happy with the increased costs arising from tariffs or the talk of annexation, and that has had an impact on relations. Moreover, with talk of Canada walking from the previously agreed-upon deal for American F-35s, the administration hasn't kept quiet. In September 2025, the U.S. warned Canada against dumping the F-35 from its procurement plans, promising "negative consequences," per the Ottawa Citizen.

The U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, said in May 2025 that an abandonment of the agreement would threaten the joint U.S.-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) alliance. This claim stems from a part of the alliance that necessitates both countries to operate American planes. Hoekstra explained in the Ottawa Citizen, "If Canadians are flying one airplane, we're flying another airplane; it's no longer interchangeable. And so, that might even threaten NORAD."

Should Canada look elsewhere to replace its F-18s, the nation might end up purchasing something like the Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet. Given the increased costs and exceptional delay in delivery, Canada is likely willing to purchase an alternative rather than wait and pay more to the U.S. While this could further degrade the relationship between Canada and the U.S., it's understandable that Canada would do so given the problems surrounding the F-35 acquisition.