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An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet at the Florennes military airbase, in southern Belgium. Canada is rethinking its order of 88 F-35s and considering cutting its purchase plans to accommodate a second fleet of fighters, such as Sweden’s Saab Gripen.JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images
A former air force commander says Ottawa should buy its full order of 88 U.S.-made F-35s to fill an imminent gap in fighter capacity but switch to European warplanes for future purchases to provide more independence from the United States.
Retired lieutenant-general Yvan Blondin, who was commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2012 until 2015, said the possibility exists now that the United States might disagree with how Canada chooses to utilize its fighter fleet outside of North America.
He said it’s not out of the bounds of possibility such a disagreement could lead to problems with Americans providing software updates or parts for U.S.-made fighters.
“Nobody can say if there’s a kill switch inside the software,” Mr. Blondin said.
He said this was not previously a concern, but it’s changed under Donald Trump.
“It is a political risk today to rely solely on American weapons,” Mr. Blondin said. “This is why a lot of European countries and a lot of Asian countries, and Canada are saying ‘I need to diversify. I need to buy something else than just Americans.’”
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He said it’s too late to switch plane choices now and he can’t foresee any scenario in which Canada and the United States disagree on the use of F-35s for the defence of North America.
Canada is currently rethinking its order of 88 F-35s and considering cutting its purchase plans to accommodate a second fleet of fighters such as Sweden’s Saab Gripen. The Swedish king visited Ottawa last week to promote a sale. Ottawa’s minimum F-35 order is 16, officials have said.
A major limit on mixed fleets is Canada’s shrinking fighter pilot population, Mr. Blondin said. The Department of National Defence did not immediately respond to a request for the current number.
The former air force commander said he believes Canada has about 40 today.
He said Canada needs fighter pilots to keep flying the aging CF-18s to meet the country’s NORAD obligations until the last of these aircraft are retired in the early 2030s. Then it needs fighter jet pilots to fly the F-35s starting to arrive shortly. It also needs to keep training CF-18 pilots and also train F-35 pilots.
A second new fighter would place difficult demands on the numbers of fighter jet pilots, Mr. Blondin said. “You’re running out of bodies.”
He predicted a mixed fleet of F-35s and a second fighter jet would lead to aircraft parked on the tarmac without pilots to fly them.
After sufficient F-35s have arrived, Mr. Blondin said Canada could begin plans for a second fighter, this one from Europe, to provide it with a capability that isn’t vulnerable to U.S. influence.
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Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defence denied there is any mechanism planted in the F-35 software that could be used to immobilize the fighters or hamper their operation.
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office said in a March statement to media that it does not have the power to remotely disable the fighters. “There is no kill switch,” the office said. “The strength of the F-35 program lies in its global partnership, and we remain committed to providing all users with the full functionality and support they require.”
In early 2025, the German media outlet Stern reported on a clause in Germany’s F-35 contract that stipulated the U.S. government reserves the right to terminate or suspend the provision of services in the event of unusual and compelling circumstances and if the national interest of the United States requires it.
The Department of National Defence said in a recent statement to The Globe and Mail that this provision does not extend to Canada because of how Ottawa is purchasing the F-35s.
“This does not apply to Canada as we are not acquiring the F-35 through a contract, but through the Joint Strike Force (JSF) Production Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding (PSFD MOU),” department spokesperson Cheryl Forrest said in an e-mailed statement. “Under the terms of the MOU, the U.S. government cannot terminate or suspend the provision of services to the partner nations for the F-35.”
