As a part of the biggest funding within the Royal Canadian Air Drive in 30 years, Canada is buying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II.

On Jan. 9, 2023, Canada introduced the finalisation of an settlement with america (US) authorities and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney for the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Drive.

Right this moment, I introduced that Canada is buying a brand new fleet of 88 F-35 fighter jets. This undertaking is estimated at $19 billion – making it the biggest funding in our @RCAF_ARC in three many years. This undertaking will be sure that our aviators have the instruments they should defend Canada. pic.twitter.com/4qbaT3vC1B

— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) January 9, 2023

The choice of the F-35 fifth era plane as a part of the Future Fighter Functionality Mission (FFCP) Canada to switch the Royal Canadian Air Drive’s fleet of legacy CF-188 Hornets (native designation of the F/A-18) had been introduced in March 2022.

“That is the biggest funding within the RCAF prior to now 30 years. The estimated funding for this undertaking is $19 billion, which incorporates related gear, sustainment set-up and providers, in addition to the development of Fighter Squadron Amenities in Bagotville and Chilly Lake,” says the public statement launched by the Authorities of Canada.

“Because the rules-based worldwide order is challenged all over the world, the F-35 will probably be important for shielding Canadians, enhancing Arctic safety and nationwide sovereignty, and enabling Canada to satisfy its NATO, NORAD and different obligations nicely into the longer term. The Authorities of Canada will proceed to do no matter it takes to guard Canadians and make continued, vital investments to offer the members of our Canadian Armed Forces the gear that they should do their jobs.”

The primary deliveries of those plane are anticipated to start in 2026, with a Full Operational Functionality with the complete fleet anticipated between 2032 and 2034.

“Right this moment’s announcement can also be good news for Canadian companies and staff within the Canadian aerospace and defence sector. The acquisition and preliminary sustainment of the F-35 undertaking has the potential to contribute over $425 million yearly to Canada’s gross home product and shut to three,300 jobs yearly for Canadian business and worth chain companions over a 25-year interval (direct and oblique). As well as, there will probably be substantial investments made in Nationwide Defence infrastructure renewal at varied bases throughout Canada that can embody many Canadian development and website upkeep corporations. Canadian business will even have vital sustainment alternatives associated to the Canadian fleet. Alternatives are anticipated in areas equivalent to airframe and engine depots, in addition to in coaching and in upkeep of parts over the lifetime of the fleet.”

As defined in a earlier story of the Canadian F-35 program, the Authorities of Canada launched an “open and clear aggressive course of” to amass new fighter jets in 2017. A proper request for proposals was launched to eligible suppliers in July 2019. It closed in July 2020. Dassault and Airbus determined to withdraw their Rafale and Eurofighter Storm proposals in 2018 and 2019, respectively, saying that the necessities favored the US bids. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Saab, proposing the Super Hornet Block III, the F-35A Lightning II and the Gripen E respectively, have been requested to point out how their bids might meet not solely the navy necessities of the RCAF for missions each at dwelling and overseas, but additionally present advantages for the nationwide business.

In November 2021, it was introduced that the substitute proposal based mostly on the F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornet, one of many favourite bids thought of that the RCAF already operates the “legacy” model of the Hornet, was rejected because it didn’t meet the federal authorities’s necessities. Between the 2 remaining contenders, Lockheed Martin and Saab, Canada ultimately selected the F-35.

David Cenciotti is a journalist based mostly in Rome, Italy. He’s the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of many world’s most well-known and skim navy aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for main worldwide magazines, together with Air Forces Month-to-month, Fight Plane, and lots of others, overlaying aviation, protection, struggle, business, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown a number of fight planes with totally different air forces. He’s a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Drive, a non-public pilot and a graduate in Laptop Engineering. He has written 5 books and contributed to many extra ones.