Former high-ranking officials from the Canadian Armed Forces are defending the proposed acquisition of 88 American F-35 fighter jets, aiming to halt the ongoing discussions between the Canadian government and Saab, a Swedish company. A group of twelve former senior officers of the Royal Canadian Air Force has written a letter to the federal government emphasizing the advantages of procuring a full fleet of F-35s to address Canada’s military requirements.
The signatories are advocating against the reduction of the F-35 order by the Canadian government and the potential substitution with Gripen-E fighter jets from Saab. The letter, not yet public, was dispatched to key government decision-makers involved in the fighter jet procurement, including the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The review of the F-35 purchase was initiated by Carney in response to threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, with Canada currently in the process of acquiring 16 F-35 aircraft without a commitment to the full order of 88 jets.
One of the signatories of the letter, Tom Lawson, who served as the chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Armed Forces from 2012 to 2015, refrained from directly commenting on the letter but expressed skepticism regarding the plans to acquire Gripen fighter jets. Lawson stressed the unmatched quality of the F-35, stating that no alternative in the free world comes close to its capabilities compared to the Gripen.
While acknowledging the government’s interest in diversifying military equipment sources beyond the U.S., Lawson asserted that reducing the F-35 purchase is not the appropriate method to convey such a message. He highlighted the F-35’s superior stealth and radar evasion capabilities, emphasizing the importance of additional F-35 acquisitions if more fighter capability is needed, cautioning against introducing a secondary fleet of Gripen jets due to resource constraints within the Canadian Armed Forces.
The Swedish king’s recent visit to Ottawa and Montreal has sparked speculation about potential acquisitions of Swedish fighter jets and surveillance aircraft by the Canadian Armed Forces. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has emphasized the importance of securing enhanced economic benefits from Lockheed Martin in exchange for the F-35 contract. Discussions with Saab have been ongoing, with the company offering to establish new production facilities in Canada.
Lockheed Martin is in talks with aerospace company L3Harris MAS to establish a maintenance center for Canadian F-35s, which could potentially lead to job losses if the planned acquisition of 88 F-35s does not proceed. L3Harris MAS officials underscored the economic viability of the partnership with the U.S. armed forces for the Mirabel facility. The company also highlighted the potential impact of job layoffs if a mixed fleet of F-35s is acquired instead of the full 88 jets.
The Royal Canadian Air Force has engaged with various suppliers to explore options for acquiring electronic surveillance aircraft, with Saab, Bombardier, and Boeing being prominent contenders for the contract. Economic benefits and technological considerations are being weighed in the discussions, with L3Harris continuing to refine the aircraft proposal for the Canadian government following meetings in September.