Ottawa still reviewing F-35 program after its summer deadline passes

An F-35A fighter jet performs at a military base as part of celebrations marking the anniversary of the Royal Thai Air Force in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

OTTAWA — The federal government’s review of the controversial F-35 fighter jet procurement project is ongoing -- despite Canadian officials repeatedly saying it would be completed by the end of summer.

The Department of National Defence told The Canadian Press the F-35 review continues as federal bureaucrats examine the plans and consider the military’s needs.

Defence Minister David McGuinty vowed at one point the review would be complete by the start of this week.

“The prime minister was very clear -- by end of summer, which is Sept. 21, he’ll have a decision and more to say about this,” McGuinty told reporters in Warsaw, Poland on Aug. 25.

But while the government might have blown past its self-imposed deadline, defence experts don’t seem all that concerned.

Philippe Lagasse of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs said he prefers to see Ottawa conduct an in-depth review.

“These things are always complicated, there’s a number of different variables that have to be considered, and I would rather the government take the time to arrive at the right answer,” he told The Canadian Press on Wednesday, on the sidelines of a defence industry event put on by the Canadian Club in Ottawa.

Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the U.S.-made stealth fighter procurement after becoming prime minister this spring -- a move that came in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump launching his trade war against Canada.

But Lagasse said the review isn’t necessarily tied to the trade war.

“It’s tied to the sovereign capabilities Canada might need to have and whether a mixed fleet would be an option for Canada to consider,” he said.

“As the prime minister said yesterday with respect to submarines, that’s an incredibly costly way of doing things. But in certain circumstances, when it comes to protecting your national sovereignty, that may be something you want to do.”

Asked specifically about the F-35 in New York on Tuesday, Carney said his government is focused on ensuring Canada’s military acquisitions lead to domestic industrial benefits and the best value for money.

“The way we were making decisions until this government, often, was, what’s the military requirement? If it fulfils the military requirement then we go with that,” Carney said. “You see both in terms of the submarine decision and the F-35 decision, when it comes, will be military requirement plus industrial benefits, how does the entire package benefit our country.”

Canada initially planned to acquire 88 of the advanced fighter jets from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government at a cost of about US$85 million each, but is only legally committed under the contract to buying the first 16 aircraft.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press