Questions swirl as Canada launches negotiations for F-35 stealth fighter
CTV
Canada's decade-long search for a new fighter jet to replace its aging CF-18s came full circle on Monday as the Liberal government announced negotiations with U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin to purchase the F-35.
Yet even as the end to that circuitous search appeared to finally be in sight, many unanswered questions remained: how much the aircraft will cost? When they will start to arrive in Canada? And were the past 12 years of debate and delays worth it?
Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and Defence Minister Anita Anand confirmed during a news conference that Lockheed Martin's stealth fighter beat out Sweden's Saab Gripen in a competition many had long considered the F-35's to lose.
The government will now launch formal negotiations with the company this week for the purchase of 88 F-35s to replace Canada's CF-18s, with officials anticipating the talks will take about seven months and result in a final contract by the end of the year.
Tassi and Anand emphasized the negotiations do not mean a deal for the F-35 is done, and that the government retains the option to talk with Saab about its Gripen fighter should discussions with Lockheed Martin stall.
