Key Points and Summary – Canada is reassessing whether to complete its 88-jet F-35 purchase or pivot to Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen amid political frictions and cost debates.
-Security advocates argue the F-35’s stealth, sensors, and MADL networking are essential to police Canada’s vast Arctic and western approaches while interoperating with NORAD and allied F-35 fleets.
-Sixteen jets already purchased are insufficient to maintain a continuous 5th-gen air envelope.
-Facing potential Su-57 threats and long distances, Ottawa’s best option, the piece argues, is a full F-35 fleet whose shared data links and multinational scale outclass 4.5-gen alternatives—regardless of tariff tensions or budget headwinds.
NORAD, Su-57s & the Arctic: The Case for Canada’s F-35 Fleet
As the Canadian government and its military leaders evaluate whether to complete a 2023 deal to buy 88 F-35s, the decision calculus hangs in a delicate balance of political and military considerations.
Canada needs an air envelope of protection for its borders as well as an ability to defend its interests and align with allies for security purposes.
This means Canada is now faced with the question of completing the original F-35 order, of which 16 have arrived, or picking another potentially less expensive fighter, such as Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen multi-role fighter.
Do tariff-related negotiations or tensions between the US & Canada cast a shadow of uncertainty upon the future of the F-35 in Canada?
Perhaps the more operative question is whether Canada can afford “not” to buy the F-35, given that Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty has been clear about his country’s commitment to acquiring a new fleet of advanced, high-performing fighter jets.
McGuinty’s office was quoted in a Reuters news agency essay stating “we are committed to procuring what the Air Force needs.”
F-35 for Canada
Regardless of how things unfold with tariff discussions, budget deliberations and other political variables involving Canada and the US, there is a clear security reason why Canada would be best served by a fleet of stealth fighters.
There are many clear, security-related reasons for this, given the global presence of F-35s and the aircraft’s performance parameters.
Certainly, Canada would want the ability to operate a protective air envelope throughout its airspace, with a particular focus on deterring potential threats from Russia to its Western border, South of Alaska. Russia could also pose a threat to Canada’s Northern border through the Arctic.
F-35 Formations
In a scenario of this kind, a collection of 16 F-35s would be ill-equipped to protect Canadian shores because it simply would not be enough to establish a 5th-generation defensive perimeter along the vast expanse of its borders.
As for the particular merits of the F-35 for Canada, there are several factors to consider, including geography and 5th-generation stealth fighter jet technology.
It seems clear that fighter jets tasked with defending Canadian airspace would need to “network” across vast distances, something which would require a much larger fleet of F-35s.
The advantage of the F-35 in this kind of contingency can be observed through its standard, interoperable, fleet-wide data sharing technology called MADL, for Multi-function Advanced Data Link.
This means time-critical threat data gathered by F-35’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS) sensors could instantly be “networked” across an entire formation of F-35s.
This vastly expands battlefield presence and any commensurate need to track and destroy threats across a vast geographical expanse.
Russian Su-57
Since Russian weapons and air power are likely the most significant threat to Canada, any defensive air power the country has would need to confront, stop, or potentially destroy Russian 5th-Gen Su-57s.
Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter in the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Even though Russia appears to be suffering from an ongoing production problem related to its efforts to build a full fleet of Su-57s, the aircraft presents a threat that Canada is likely to take seriously, given how accessible its Northern and Western shores are to Russian air attacks.
As a known 5th-gen fighter, the F-35 could not only outmatch the Su-57 but also deploy a much larger 5th-gen fleet.
A Saab JAS 39 Gripen, by contrast, is not-only non-stealthy but regarded as a 4.5-gen aircraft which is “not” 5th-gen, a circumstance potentially making it more vulnerable to Russian Su-57s.
Multi-National Strength: That Means F-35 Is the Only Real Choice
There is yet another primary reason why Canada would be well-served by the stealth fighter, and it relates to allies and potential multinational formations.
At least 20 countries operate with F-35s throughout Europe and Asia, so Canadian air war support from numerous F-35 nations could merge and align with Canada’s F-35s in the event of a great power war. This is an advantage that alternative fighter jets cannot parallel.
The choice seems quite clear for Ottawa.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
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Swamplaw Yankee
September 20, 2025 at 11:30 pm
OMG! The futurists are back with their Vacuum Cleaner options! Madam, step aside, OP-ed hackmis ready to spill the – – – – all over your shag carpet.
Did the world just not see F-35 air frames unable to jiggle wig a few Genocider Putin air frames out of estonian air space?
Your vacuum F-35 model seems to be spotty, fellas. The spot it misses is the reality of MEXICO. Where is the pressure for all those wealthy cartel drug lords to sign up?
The population of Mexico is much greater than Canada. The Xi-Putin missile /drones will be flying over Mexico into mainland Yankee. Connect the dots: Where is SORAD? Stop this autistic jabber about NORAD + taxing Canadians.
So, the Vacuum model F-35 touts have dirtied the carpet + refuse to clean up with the Mexico magic cash solution.
Show up with legal purchase orders signed for F-35 air frame – – – – by the Mexican structure. Show up or ship out!
The last federal election in Canada a few months back was the time for all F-35 vacuum touts to knock on Canadian doors. These F-35 coward touts refused to do anything of the sort. Not a single op-ed F-35 tout ran for Canadian political office. Fancy that bravery.
Watch the election debates again, fellas! Not a single party even burped about 5% of GNP for defense or even 3% of GNP for defence spending. The Federal parties pushed each other over in refusing to mention stopping the Genocide of Ukrainians with increased spending on defence.
Free housing, free healthcare, free invaders to invade was the leftie pinkoe pre-election mantra. 3T was openly elected on a platform of tiny miniscule defence spending. 3T = Third Trudeau
The biggest city Toronto has a leftie pinkoe mayor all over gung ho speed ahead Free Housing in her “Sanctuary” city. No pro F-35 talk from that Mayor, who is the tail that wags the Canadian dog.
The touts refused to tout the F-35 when called upon. Tell the inner beltway brains that you guys blew it. The only way to reality in Canada is when the touts show up waving big legal F-35 purchases from Mexico.
But, the MSM knows the touts totally refuse to “Mariachi” down to Mexico’s NO-GO zones and hand out colour brochures of F-35 talk to their new “amigos”!! – 30 –