Canada May Be The Next Nation To Buy Lockheed Martin's F-35 Stealth Fighter

A U.S. Air Force F-35A arrives at the Ottawa International Airport on Sept. 4. The warplane is part of a demonstration team that will take part in a local air show. The stealth fighter is one of three contenders in the bid to replace Canada's CF-18s. (Murray Brewster/CBC News)

Michael Peck, National Interest: One Nation May Have No Choice But to Buy the F-35 Stealth Fighter

Canada may simply have no choice. Here's why.

Canada may be the next nation to buy the F-35 stealth fighter.

The F-35’s competitors are dwindling.

In August, Britain’s Ministry of Defense and European manufacturer Airbus withdrew the Eurofighter from Canada’s competition to pick a replacement for its 35-year-old CF-18 fighters. In 2018, France’s Dassault withdrew the Rafale from the contest.

That just leaves three contenders: Lockheed Martin’s F-35, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Swedish manufacturer Saab’s Gripen. The winner is slated to receive a CA$19 billion (U.S. $15 billion) contract for 88 jets in 2022.

David Pugliese, who covers defense for the Ottawa Citizen, has chronicled how the F-35’s competitors have dropped out one by one. In May, Canada’s Department of National Defense changed the procurement rules after the U.S. warned that the F-35 program barred the aircraft from being sold to nations who promised industrial benefits in return for selecting the Lightning II.

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WNU Editor: Lockheed is doing the hard sell .... The high-speed hard sell: why the F-35 is coming to a Canadian air show (CBC).

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