'Canada can do what it wants on the F-35,' says U.S. ambassador, who says debate does 'irritate' him

OTTAWA— While U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is free to do as it wants with its review of purchasing the F-35, he says the debate is nevertheless irritating. 

Carney ordered a review of its F-35 purchase back in March, shortly after becoming prime minister, with his then-defence minister saying Carney had done so to ensure it was the best option.

It came as the country was in the early stages of dealing with a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, with emotions running high over his repeated comments about wanting Canada to become its “51st state.” Concerns also mounted as to the reliability of the U.S. as a trading partner.

Defence Minister David McGuinty has said that the review remains ongoing. The first 16 of the F-35 jets from major American manufacturer Lockheed Martin are set to be delivered in the years ahead, out of the 88 it needs to replace its aged fleet of CF-18 aircraft.

Sweden, meanwhile, has been courting the Carney government to consider instead purchasing its Gripen fighter aircraft, made by the Swedish company Gripen.  

Asked whether the U.S. regards Canada’s review of the F-35 purchase as a trade irritant, Hoekstra answered bluntly. 

“Canada can do what it wants on the F-35, OK?” he told National Post in a recent wide-ranging interview earlier this week.

The ambassador expressed how he welcomes the commitments Canada has made over the past year when it comes to its military, such as the boosting of its timeline to reach its NATO defence spending targets and its recent agreement on Arctic cooperation.

Hoeskrta said they will put forward “a strong case” as to why Canada should move forward with plans to purchase the F-35 and why they believe the American-made fighter jet to be “the best option for Canada.”

He pointed out that Canada stands out among allied countries in not flying the F-35, which he added would change in the months ahead as it receives its first deliveries of the fighter jets.

“Does it irritate me, personally, that we’re revisiting this issue again? Yeah, it’d be nice to put this one to bed and just move forward,” Hoekstra said. 

Canada and the U.S. have spent years working on the issue, the ambassador added, pointing out that around 30 companies within Canada contribute to the building of the F-35.

“It would be nice if Canada made a commitment,” Hoesktra said. “But if they want to go through another review, they can go through another review.”

Maya Ouferhat, a spokeswoman for McGuinty, said in a statement that the review of the F-35 remained ongoing, as Canada continues to consider our defence industrial strategy and work to ensure maximum economic benefits for our businesses and workers.”

McGuinty’s office did not directly answer as to why the review remains ongoing when the initial expectation was that it would be finalized by the end of the summer.

Reuters reported in August that defence officials had encouraged Canada to stick with the initial plan to purchase the full complement of 88 F-35 jets.

A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the F-35 was “the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world” and that it values its relationship with the Royal Canadian Air Force. 

Chauncey McIntosh, vice-president and general manager of the F-35 program, said in a separate response that Canada stands to reap billions in economic benefit by moving ahead with further purchase of the fighter jet.

“Investing in the full complement of F-35s fosters a robust and innovative aerospace sector in Canada, creating high-quality jobs and boosting the country’s defence and aerospace industries,” McIntosh said in a statement.

Back in 2023, former defence minister Bill Blair, who still serves as a Liberal MP, announced that Canada planned to purchase 88 F-35 jets to the tune of $19 billion, touting the aircraft as the “most advanced fighter on the market.”

Karen Hogan, Canada’s auditor general, released a report in June that showed the estimated costs had already jumped to nearly $28 billion, adding that another $5.5 billion would be needed to make the jets fully operational.

When he announced the initial purchase plan, Blair said at the time that Canada was scheduled to receive the first four fighter jets by 2026, followed by six in 2027 and six more by 2028.

With a file from David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen

National Post

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