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Today, the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that following an open, fair and transparent competition, Canada has finalized an agreement with the United States (US) government and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney for the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

As outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged, Canada has committed to purchase a new fleet of 88 advanced fighter jets for the RCAF, and today, the federal government announced that this new fleet will be comprised of F-35 jets. The first deliveries of these aircraft are anticipated to begin in 2026, and we anticipate that we will reach Full Operational Capability with our entire fleet between 2032 and 2034.

This is the largest investment in the RCAF in the past 30 years. The estimated investment for this project is $19 billion, which includes associated equipment, sustainment set-up and services, as well as the construction of Fighter Squadron Facilities in Bagotville and Cold Lake.

The acquisition and initial sustainment of the F-35 project has the potential to contribute over $425 million annually to Canada’s gross domestic product and close to 3,300 jobs annually for Canadian industry and value chain partners over a 25-year period (direct and indirect). In addition, there will be substantial investments made in National Defence infrastructure renewal at various bases across Canada that will include many Canadian construction and site maintenance companies.