Canada receives first two F-35 jets as order stays in limbo

OTTAWA – Canada has received its first two F-35 fighter jets, even as the federal government remains undecided on how many of the American-made planes it will ultimately buy.

The Royal Canadian Air Force announced the delivery of the two Lockheed Martin aircraft on Friday on social media, posting a photo from Phoenix that showed one jet marked with a maple-leaf roundel, The Canadian Press reported.

The air force could not immediately say when it will begin training pilots on the new planes. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra recently called the F-35 “the best fighter in the world.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with a planned order of 88 of the stealth jets. Canada could instead end up with a mixed fleet that includes Gripen fighters built by Saab of Sweden.

Carney launched a review of the purchase after U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated trade and annexation threats. The review was supposed to have concluded a year ago.

Trump suggested last year that the United States might give allies jets with limited capabilities in order to preserve American supremacy. Former foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy warned in a blog post on Saturday that Washington controls the software the F-35 relies on.

The questions around the purchase have been building for some time. Saab has previously complained that Ottawa was not following the rules in its F-35 negotiations, and the government has declined to say whether it penalized the Gripen in a 2021 analysis. The delivery also comes as the prime minister has acknowledged that Canada studied the risk of a U.S. invasion.

This report was developed from The Canadian Press, first published Oct. 25, 2026.

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