Canada discreetly puts money down on 14 additional F-35s

Ottawa has started to make payments for key components for 14 additional U.S.-built F-35s, even as the Carney government has been reviewing future fighter-jet purchases in the context of trade tensions with Washington, sources have told CBC News. 

The money for these 14 aircraft is in addition to the contract for a first order of 16 F-35s, which will start being delivered to the Canadian Armed Forces at the end of the year.

According to sources, the new expenses are related to the purchase of so-called “long-lead items,” which are parts that must be ordered well in advance of the delivery of a fully assembled aircraft.

Canada had to make these expenditures to maintain its place in the long-term delivery schedule and avoid being replaced by other buyers in the queue, sources said.

CBC News agreed to provide confidentiality to sources who were not authorized to publicly comment on the F-35 purchase.

The fact that Ottawa has started paying for long-lead items for 14 additional fighter jets has not been made public.

In response to questions from CBC News, the Department of National Defence refused to confirm that new funds have been committed for new F-35s, saying the review of the proposed purchase is “still underway.”

The Breakdown | Canada’s F-35 role + N.S. resource development

The review was initiated by the Carney government last year in response to annexation threats and tariffs imposed by the Trump administration against the Canadian steel, aluminum and automotive industries.

At the end of January, Defence minister David McGuinty also used the review to avoid questions on Ottawa’s plans to replace the CF-18 fleet.

“We have acquired 16 F-35 fighter jets,” he said on Jan. 28. “The question of further acquisition of that fleet remains under review.”

The Department of National Defence reported at the end of 2025 that it spent an extra $476 million on the CF-18 replacement program, but it wasn’t clear whether any funding was earmarked for additional fighter jets.

The Department of National Defence declined to provide a full breakdown of these expenditures.

The government has several options regarding fighter jets. It could simply continue with its plan to purchase a total of 88 F-35s in the long term.

It could also opt for a mixed fleet, composed of F-35s and another European fighter jet, such as the Swedish-built Gripen.

Ottawa is evaluating a proposal by Swedish manufacturer Saab to assemble those aircraft in Canada, which would create thousands of jobs as the government seeks to use military spending to revitalize the country’s industrial base.

In the cockpit of a powerful F-35 politics can’t matter

In this case, the government might reduce its total F-35 order, a decision that would likely create additional tensions with Washington.

For now, one expert says Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to be using Canada’s possible purchase of the F-35s as a key card in trade and diplomatic negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Each week, Trump adds another reason not to move forward with the F-35 and he is the one creating a negative spiral. This puts the Carney administration in a difficult position,” said political scientist and defence specialist Justin Massie.

According to Massie, who is a professor at Université du Québec à Montréal, expenses related to the purchase of 14 additional F-35s are to be expected given Ottawa has not officially changed its F-35 policy, despite the ongoing review.

“The longer the decision is delayed, the harder it will be to back down,” he said. “Because once you’ve made financial commitments and signed contracts for the next batch, it’s always more complicated to go back.”

Jody Thomas, a former deputy minister of national defence, told CBC News the payments for 14 additional F-35s are the proper way to handle the file.

“In the absence of a decision on the fate of the F-35, this planning is crucial to ensuring that Canada has a CF-18 replacement,” said the former national security advisor to the Trudeau government. “It is, in short, prudent and responsible.”