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.

  • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOP
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    8 hours ago

    What’s the problem?? China has shown its intent in other parts of the world with its ‘belt and road’ initiative and, tbh, Canada has little incentive to join that. Never mind the fact that the scumbag Stephen Harper locked us into a decidedly one-sided, 31 year long FIPPA with China that can’t end until 2045.

    Added to that is all the money laundering and fraud that China committed here beginning in the '90s.

    Most Canadians are aware of this stuff, so are wary of joining forces with China in any way, shape or form.

    • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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      3 hours ago

      China has shown its intent in other parts of the world with its ‘belt and road’ initiative

      That intent being mutual development so other countries are less dependent on China’s enemy and their economies can’t be leveraged against China?

      • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOP
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        2 hours ago

        No. Their manipulation of poorer nations where China ‘lends’ them the money to complete projects that primarily benefit China, leaving the nations forever in China’s debt.

        • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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          52 minutes ago

          You’re just describing the IMF’s model and pretending China is doing it. When countries were unable to pay back the loans, China has refinanced or forgiven them.

          Having good relations and a country that isn’t dependent on the west benefits China a lot more than slightly reduced costs to transport goods to a country, that every other country also reaps when a port or railroad is built.