The 72-Jet Gap Between Canada’s F-35 Order & Its $19 Billion Fighter Budget

On July 22, it was officially announced that Canada’s Ministry of Defense is now a part of the Global Combat Air Program in observer status, as Reuters reported. This has changed the balance of power and the diplomatic struggle over the procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Although Canada’s desperately seeking to replace its aging Boeing CF-188 Hornets, the inflated price of the Joint Strike Fighter, along with uncharacteristically hostile relations under the Trump Administration, has soured the program.