Canadian PM Mark Carney orders review of deal to buy US F-35 jets

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has ordered a review of a deal worth tens of billions of dollars to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US.

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after being sworn in. Picture: Getty Images

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has ordered a review of a deal worth tens of billions of dollars to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US, “given the changing environment”.

That announcement came two days after Portugal said it too was reviewing a possible purchase of F-35s amid rising international anger over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs war.

Canadian defence ministry spokesman Laurent de Casanove said the contract to purchase F-35s from Lockheed Martin currently remains in place and Canada has commitment the funds for the first 16 aircraft. Canada agreed to buy 88 F-35s two years ago.

Mr Carney, who was sworn in on Friday, has asked Defence Minister Bill Blair to work with the military “to determine if the F-35 contract, as it stands, is the best investment for Canada, and if there are other options that could better meet Canada’s needs”, Mr de Casanove said.

“To be clear, the F-35 contract has not been cancelled, but 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,” Mr de Casanove said.

The US President has declared a trade war on Canada and has threatened economic coercion to make it the 51st state. Mr Trump’s threats have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are cancelling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.

The government had budgeted about $C19bn ($21bn) for the F-35 purchase in what is the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years. The full life cycle of the program is expected to cost $C70bn.

A Lockheed Martin spokesman said the company valued its strong history with the Royal Canadian Air Force and said “questions about Canada’s procurement of the F-35 are best addressed by the Canadian and US governments”.

The agreement to buy 88 jets came in 2023 as former prime minister Justin Trudeau was set to meet then-US president Joe Biden.

The Canadian government said in 2022 that Lockheed Martin was deemed to be the top-ranked bidder for a new fighter jet to replace ageing F-18s, deciding against Boeing’s Super Hornet and the Swedish-built Saab Gripen. That ended years of deliberations over its ageing fleet.

The purchase would fulfil Canada’s obligations to defend North America’s air space.

The Swedish Saab proposal promised that assembly and maintenance would take place in Canada.

Portugal’s Defence Minister, Nuno Melo, has said that “recent positions” taken by the US compelled a rethink about the purchase of F-35s because the Trump administration was unpredictable.

Mr Melo said the US could in the future impose limits on the planes’ use, their maintenance or their components. Portugal is considering various options to replace F-16s.

AP