Canada has begun making payments tied to long-lead components for 14 additional F-35A fighters, Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed in Parliament. The move signals that Ottawa is keeping its place in the production queue, even as it continues reviewing whether to proceed with the full 88-jet plan.
The payments, first reported by Radio Canada, would effectively take the number of aircraft in the pipeline to 30, combining the first 16 F-35As already under contract with a follow-on tranche linked to advance procurement actions.
“A small amount” to preserve leverage
When pressed in the House of Commons by Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet – who accused the government of inconsistency after Carney’s World Economic Forum remarks on strategic autonomy from the United States – the prime minister acknowledged the payments. However, he framed them as an option rather than a firm recommitment.
“Yes, the government is paying a small amount in order to have options,” Carney replied. “That’s useful for our defense and to have options in our negotiations with the Americans.”
Such ‘long-lead’ funding typically refers to advance procurement for components that must be ordered well ahead of final assembly. This step is used to preserve production timing and keep delivery options open.
A hedge as the mixed-fleet debate drags on
The confirmation lands in the middle of a politically charged review of Canada’s fighter replacement plan. Canadian officials have been weighing scenarios that would reduce the eventual F-35 buy while adding a second fighter type, with Saab’s Gripen E often cited as the leading alternative.
That debate has also triggered pressure from Washington. Pete Hoekstra, US Ambassador to Canada, warned that NORAD “would have to be altered” if Canada pulls back from the planned 88 F-35s, arguing that the program underpins operational interchangeability for continental air defense.
Carney’s confirmation suggests that Canada is preserving the option to move ahead on additional F-35s, without signaling whether it will ultimately stick with the full 88-jet plan. Among critics of the F-35 order, Conservative MP James Bezan has publicly argued for a split fleet of 44 F-35s plus 60 to 80 Gripens.