PUBLISHED on August 7, 2025, 1:32 PM EDT – Canada’s urgent, decade-long need to replace its aging CF-18 fighter fleet has been hit by another political delay.
-After finally signing a deal for 88 F-35s in 2023, the new government of Prime Minister Mark Carney is now reconsidering the purchase amidst strained relations with the U.S. and President Trump.
-This continued delay leaves Canada with an obsolete fighter fleet that can no longer adequately meet its NATO and NORAD commitments. With Russian and Chinese activity increasing in the Arctic, this indecision seriously compromises the country’s national security.
Did Canada Wait Too Long In Replacing the CF-18 Fighter?
Canada’s aging CF-18 fighter jets urgently need replacement, but delays and politics have complicated acquiring new aircraft.
The pressing need for Canada to replace its moribund CF-18 fleet is long overdue, and can’t wait, many aviation analysts say. Canada’s Hornet aircraft have “been desperately in need of replacement for more than a decade,” said Justin Bronk, a research fellow for airpower and military technology at the U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank.
“The Canadian fighter force can’t wait for another fighter procurement process,” Bronk told Newsweek. “They just can’t wait.” But it is now apparent that they are waiting, and it is bad news for Canada.
PM Mark Carney Flip-Flops On the US F-35
The Canadian government announced early in 2023 that it had signed a deal worth about $13.7 billion to buy 88 F-35s. The agreement was the most significant investment in Canada’s air force in three decades, the defense ministry said in a statement.
“Canada is confident that the F-35 represents the best fighter jet for our country at the best price for Canadians,” the government said at the time. But just two years later, after contentious tariff talks and with President Trump constantly referring to Canada as the 51st state, the relationship between the US and Canada is at a very low point.
Now, Prime Minister Mark Carney has said there are alternatives to the F-35. One of Carney’s first actions on the day he took power was to direct Defense Minister Bill Blair to consider cancelling a substantial part of Canada’s order of F-35 fighter jets from the United States. This would be a mistake on several fronts.
The debate in Ottawa has raged for over a decade. Initially, Canada agreed to purchase the F-35 from Lockheed Martin, but Justin Trudeau’s government canceled the deal to hold a competition, which the F-35 ultimately won. Canada signed the agreement to purchase 88 F-35s, but now Carney and Blair have put the brakes on again.
CF-18s Can’t Meet Canada’s NORAD and NATO Requirements
While Carney’s move may be seen as a good political move, it isn’t an efficient move. The CF-18 Hornets were cutting-edge aircraft in the 1980s when they were purchased, but now their capabilities are far below those of modern nations in their fighter fleets.
Prolonging the CF-18’s service life is not sustainable. The costs of maintaining these aging, obsolete aircraft divert resources that could be better spent on accelerating F-35 acquisitions or addressing other defense priorities.
With Chinese and Russian air activity in the Arctic increasing, reliable and modern fighters are essential. Internationally, the CF-18’s diminished combat effectiveness threatens Canada’s ability to contribute meaningfully to NATO missions and collective defense.
In an era of intensifying great-power competition, this compromises Canada’s standing as a credible ally and leaves its northern borders open for Russian and Chinese encroachment.
Canada has pursued interim measures, such as acquiring 25 second-hand F/A-18 Hornets from Australia, but those have been troublesome to incorporate with Canadian components, and were strictly a band-aid solution.
Did The Canadian Government Wait Too Long?
The short answer is yes, they did. The operational relevance of the CF-18s has been steadily declining, and continuing to operate them beyond 2025 carries increasing risks in terms of survivability, effectiveness, and interoperability, particularly against modern threats and in specific operating environments.
Delays in acquiring modern fighters and the declining capabilities of the CF-18 fleet have raised legitimate concerns about Canada’s ability to fulfill its commitments to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and NATO operations.
Ottawa Considering the JAS-39 Gripen
Sweden has made a big push to Ottawa to get it to purchase the Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter as an alternative to the F-35. The Gripen is an outstanding fourth-generation aircraft. But therein lies the problem.
While thumbing their nose at Washington and President Trump, they are pushing a very capable, albeit fourth-generation, fighter aircraft on the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is developing sixth-generation stealth fighters. This sloth-like approach is not going to end well if the unthinkable happens.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
Military Problems
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John Anderson
August 10, 2025 at 7:51 pm
The article seems thoughtful, but reflects condescending criticism from “conservative” US pundits, who almost view Canada as a vassal state. No Canadian govenment would survive capitulation to such presumptuous social pressure. Only relevant critique seems to be practical difficulty in operating small numbers of two such different aircraft.
There may thus be a relatively simple solution: accept the first group of F35 planes, but immediately start negotiations with the UK to swap them for a comparable number of new Eurofighter Typhoons. UK already operates both planes, so their integration should be simple.
Next, Canada should spend the rest of its fighter budget on a fleet of Gripen (E & F) with the ej230 engine from Rolls-Royce. These are closely related to the twin ej200 engines in the Typhoons, which also have similar Canard airframes, making their integration relatively simple.
Obviously, all should be assembled in Canada, where possible, restoring that sector of their manufacturing industry. To comply with NATO collaboration needs, they should emphasize acquisition of the more robust navalized 2-seater Gripen F variant, even better suited to their corrosive atmosphere. These could even contribute to future allied strike operations from NATO carriers, perhaps using “collaborative wingman drones” from Australia. Pooling limited resources with kindred allies secures our futures.