Canada is reviewing its contract with US defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin to purchase F-35 fighter jets, its defense minister said on Friday.
Speaking to CBC, Bill Blair said he had spoken with newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney and that they were now looking at “other alternatives” to the F-35.
“It was the fighter jet identified by our air force as the platform that they required, but we are also examining other alternatives,” Blair said.
“Whether we need all of those fighter jets to be F-35s or if there might be alternatives, the prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada,” he added.
Canada finalized a contract in 2023 to purchase 88 F-35 jets for C$19 billion (around $13.2 billion), with the first aircraft expected to be delivered to the F-35 training center at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in 2026. The jet is set to arrive in Canada in 2028.
Lockheed Martin beat out Sweden’s Saab — maker of the Gripen E jet — and Boeing — which produces the F/A-18 Super Hornet — to secure the contract.
Blair’s comments came just a day after Portugal announced that it was also reconsidering purchasing the F-35.
Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo told local outlet Público on Thursday that he was wary of replacing older US-made F-16 fighter jets with F-35s in the wake of President Donald Trump’s recent policy shifts.
Melo said Trump’s unpredictability with regard to his stance on NATO meant Portugal had to weigh up other options, adding: “We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices.”
Business Insider has contacted the Canadian Defense Ministry and Lockheed Martin for comment.
Blair’s announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Ottawa and Washington over Trump’s repeated tariff threats and comments about adopting Canada as the 51st US state.
Trump’s moves have led to an outpouring of patriotism in Canada and seen some locals push back by abandoning US consumer brands in favor of Canadian alternatives.
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