The Canadian government has approved funding to purchase the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets: Canada’s Treasury Board gave the Department of National Defence the green light to spend CA$ 7 billion (US$5,14 Billion) on the jets, Vakius Venckunas reports in Aero Time. News of the funding decision caught Saab unawares on Tuesday, December 20, CTV reports: “Given that Saab remains eligible for selection in the formal procurement process, we are surprised by today’s media report,” Saab Canada spokeswoman Sierra Fullerton said in a statement. “Saab is committed to the offer we made to the government of Canada, which was significantly less than the $19 billion budgeted for the full 88 aircraft requested.”
While the federal government said it plans to buy 88 new F-35s to replace its CF-18s between 2026 and 2032, sources said Canada will be purchasing F-35s in blocks over the next few years. The reasons for such a phased approach vary based on each country’s budgetary process and their respective military’s ability to accept and support the transition to a new aircraft. It is also based on Lockheed Martin’s production schedule and other orders. The Treasury Board approval covers an initial set of 16 F-35s, as well as spare parts, weapons and various startup costs associated with obtaining new jets, such as building new facilities.
The approval could mark the final step in the Canadian F-35 saga, which has dragged on for more than a decade and resulted in countless twists, Vakius Venckunas comments. Indeed, Canada revealed its plan to order a fleet of F-35s in 2010. The new jets were slated to replace the country’s aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets, special versions of McDonnel Douglas F/A-18s that have been serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) since the 1980s.