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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney sidestepped questions on Tuesday about his government’s drawn-out review of the F-35 procurement plan, after the head of Norad suggest advanced aircraft like the F-35 are not critical to continental defence.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot inadvertently contributed to the political debate in Canada over the fighter jet procurement when he told a congressional panel earlier this month that fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-35 are “frankly” not needed to defend North America’s borders.
The Norad commander told U.S. senators such advanced stealth fighters are better suited to attacking targets overseas.
“I would like to see continued modernization of fourth-generation fighter fleet,” the general told the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee on March 21.
“We don’t need fifth-gen to defend our borders. Those capabilities are better used overseas, where their stealth, air-to-ground weapons and penetration capability are needed.”
When asked at a Tuesday news conference about those comments, Carney talked around them.
“There are a range of views,” he said. “That observation, obviously an expert opinion, is not inconsistent with some other views that have been expressed.”
Saab’s fourth-generation Gripen-E fighter jet was runner-up to the F-35 in Canada’s future fighter jet competition, and its bid had included assembling the jets in Canada.
Saab’s CEO recently said he has fielded many questions from the Canadian government about Gripen jets, but his company was not provided with any timelines for Ottawa’s review.
Carney said Tuesday his government is still weighing a wide range of factors in its review of plans to purchase a full fleet of F-35s.
They include Canada’s defence requirements, interoperability, value for money and broader economic benefits.
The prime minister did not say if he has read his own government’s F-35 review report, despite being asked whether he did.
He also did not offer any hints on a timeline for completing the procurement review he ordered last year, saying only that a decision would be made “at the right time.”
Carney’s government has been reviewing whether to buy a fleet of 88 F-35s for more than a year now. It had said it would finish its analysis by last fall.
The Liberal government initiated the review soon after Carney took office amid the ongoing trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trade discussions with the U.S. on sectoral tariffs had been stalled for months. Trump blew up talks in the fall, shortly after the Ontario government ran an anti-tariff ad on American TV networks.
Canada has only committed financially to the first batch of 16 F-35 jets, made by U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, warned in January that if Canada doesn’t go ahead with its full order of 88 F-35s, the North American defence pact Norad would have to be altered.
Royal Canadian Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet told the House of Commons defence committee in January the F-35 is the only fighter jet available that “can meet all of the most advanced adversary threats we are seeing that are being promulgated and advanced technologically by Russia and China.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2026.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
