One of the most eagerly awaited decisions on the defence scene is what Prime Minister Mark Carney will do in regard to the purchase of U.S.-built F-35s. Does he stay with the full order of 88 F-35s even as President Donald Trump continues to punish the Canadian economy? The other option is to purchase the Saab Gripen or go for a combination F-35/Gripen fleet for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

I examined this issue in a number of Ottawa Citizen articles, including this explainer published in November 2025: Canada’s battle of the fighter jets: F-35 vs the Gripen.

The ongoing saga has certainly created a tense situation with the U.S., as you can read in these other Ottawa Citizen stories:

Will U.S. threats force Canada to buy the F-35?

U.S. ambassador gives prime minister the cover he needs to cut Canada’s F-35 order

But there’s still no word on when Carney will actually make a decision. The Canadian Forces says it expects the first tranche of 16 F-35s starting at the end of this year or early next.

In the meantime, here’s is some more background reading on the F-35/Gripen issue:

Will Canada go for a split f-35-gripen fighter jet fleet? (Esprit de Corps, April 2026)

Saab dangles sovereign data centre in Montreal to undercut F-35 fighter contract (CBC April 2026)

NORAD commander says F-35-type aircraft not needed to defend North America (Ottawa Citizen March 2026)