Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked for a review of Canada’s plan to purchase a fleet of F-35 fighter jets.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked for a review of Canada’s plan to purchase a fleet of F-35 fighter jets.

The deal with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government is for 88 planes at a cost of about US$85 million each.

A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair said Carney has asked Blair to look into whether the F-35 contract is the best investment for Canada, or if there are better options.

“We need to do our homework given the changing environment, and make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces,” Blair’s press secretary Laurent de Casanove said.

      • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
        33·
        3 hours ago

        The purpose of buying jets from someone other than America is to reduce America’s influence over Canada, why would China sabotage that?

        Edit: Why is this controversial? Do you think America tampers with the weapons we send to Taiwan?

        • homesnatch@lemm.ee
          2·
          2 hours ago

          The US can remotely disable an F-35… China, I’d expect can do the same for a J-35.

      • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
        103·
        9 hours ago

        China is Canada’s second biggest trade partner, unless they’re planning to follow America to war with China, what’s the problem? Especially because it’s for a military that was designed for the singular purpose of defending itself from an American invasion over the last 70 years.

        • Yeather@lemmy.ca
          1·
          3 hours ago

          There’s also the downgrades and quality control issues you get with buying Chinese.

        • AnarchoDakosaurus@toast.ooo
          41·
          6 hours ago

          The Canadian public isint ready to swallow it yet but that’s where it’s going to end up at. China and Iran have been preparing for this scenario for the last 20+ years.

          They have all the kit and more needed, and in the right quantity too. In time. People still don’t really belive Trump would push the button. The closer he gets the more open to this reality people will become.

        • vga@sopuli.xyz
          1·
          6 hours ago

          I’m sure they weren’t planning on getting into a war againt USA either.