Montreal:
A spokesman for the Canadian Defense Department told AFP on Saturday that Canada is considering purchasing a major US-made F-35 fighter jet amid serious tensions with the Trump administration.
The announcement comes two days after Portugal said it was also reconsidering the possibility of purchasing the American F-35 fighter jet amid rising international rage over the tariff war launched by President Donald Trump and his unwavering support for the Atlantic Alliance.
Trump rattles off America’s Northern neighbors by imposing a 25% tariff on all Canadian products before agreeing to suspend taxes on Canadian exports covered by North American trade agreements.
And he has regularly infuriated Canadians by suggesting that their country would become the 51st US state.
In one of his first official actions since taking office on Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney asked the Department of Defense to determine whether the F-35 contract is Canada’s best investment, and whether there are other options that can better meet Canadian needs.
In January 2023, the Canadian government signed an agreement with giant US defense company Lockheed Martin to purchase 88 F-35s for a total of $19 billion ($13.2 billion).
It has already been paid for the first shipments of 16 scheduled for delivery early next year.
The transaction has not been cancelled, but “we need to take into account the changing environment and ensure that the current form of contract is in the greatest interests of Canadians and the Canadian military,” the statement said.
Portugal on Thursday showed it is studying both American F-35 and European aircraft as it appears to replace the Air Force’s aging F-16.
Retiring Defense Minister Nuno Mello raised these options in an interview with the Daily Public on Thursday, referring to “the predictability of allies” and “the recent US status at the level of NATO context and international geography strategy.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
