Lockheed Martin won the contract to replace Canada’s ageing CF-18 fleet with 88 F-35A contracted for US$13.2 billion in 2023. (Photo: US DoD/Master Sgt Karen Tomasik)
Canada risks “bloodying [its] nose” and thus its air forces’ capabilities, should it pull out of the US$13.2 billion F-35 deal with Lockheed Martin and the US, General (Ret’d) Tom Lawson, ex-chief of defence staff for Canada’s Armed Forces and member for Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDA), told Shephard.
Amid increased tariffs and political tensions with the US, Canada is currently reviewing its F-35 aircraft purchase, with Defence Minister Bill Blair announcing that the country was considering “other options” to the F-35 and would talk with rival aircraft manufacturers.
Defence ministry press secretary Laurent de Casanove further added that
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By combining established manufacturing capacity with startup aircraft design, the partnership could offer an alternative approach to scaling military uncrewed aircraft production.
Poland is seeking to update its transport helicopters as part of a wider military aviation modernisation programme, with EU funding requirements and NATO interoperability key considerations.
Poland’s growing investment in UAVs highlights how recurring procurement contracts and continuous technological development can provide suppliers with sustained opportunities beyond initial acquisitions.
Saab is developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, targeting potential operational deployment within months, while expanding its training capabilities, partnerships and ambitions for wider military applications.
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
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