Liberals secretly arranged purchase of parts for 14 additional F-35 jets

Canada’s Department of Defence is staying quiet after reports surfaced that it secretly bought key parts for 14 extra U.S.-built F-35 fighter jets.

Source: X

Canada’s Department of Defence is staying quiet after reports surfaced that it secretly bought key parts for 14 extra U.S.-built F-35 fighter jets to avoid being pushed to the back of the line for future purchases.

Despite anti-American political posturing from Ottawa, reports suggest Canadian taxpayers are still footing the bill for U.S. firepower.

When asked about the reported purchase of the U.S. F-35 fighter jets, neither Defence Minister David McGuinty nor the Department of National Defence responded to Juno News’ requests for comment.

According to sources the CBC has decided to keep confidential, Ottawa began making payments for key components for 14 additional aircraft. This is on top of the already scheduled contract for 16 F-35s that the Canadian Armed Forces are set to receive by the end of the year.

The state broadcaster’s sources allege the purchases were made to avoid being replaced by other buyers in the queue.

On the DND’s website, it only notes that Canada is reviewing whether the F-35s are “the best choice for Canada” to replace its more than three-decade-old CF-18 fleet. As of last September, the federal government restated that it was “committed” to acquiring the 16 F-35 jets.

“The review of the F-35 is still ongoing as Canada continues to consider our Defence Industrial Strategy and work to ensure maximum economic benefits for our businesses and workers,” the DND briefing states. “The review is addressing operational needs, industrial benefits, strategic partnerships, and potential alternatives along with their associated delivery timelines. It is also considering all options, including a mix of fighter aircraft.”

The CBC stated that many Canadians are concerned about Canada making any purchases from the U.S. However, the DND website notes that “over 30 Canadian companies” in the aerospace sector have contracts, mostly involving the production of F-35s.

“In fact, as of March 2025, every F-35 produced for the global program contains approximately $3.6 million of Canadian-made components,” the release said. “As international demand for the F-35 continues to grow, Canadian industry is well-positioned to experience long-term economic and strategic benefits.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in June that he believed Canada would meet NATO’s old target of each member nation spending two per cent of its GDP on NATO defence. Carney said Canada was on track to meet NATO’s old target this year and pledged to meet NATO’s new five-per-cent-of-GDP target by 2035.

Carney said 3.5 per cent of Canada’s GDP would be spent on military and operational needs, while 1.5 per cent would go to industrial and infrastructure.

As reported by Juno News, Carney pledged $4.3 billion in support to Ukraine, which he said would count toward Canada’s NATO spending target, despite Ukraine not being a member of the alliance.

The Department of National Defence was given $33.9 billion with a capital budget increase of nearly 22 per cent to $10.9 billion in the last federal budget. Canada’s GDP was about $3 trillion in 2025, according to some estimates, meaning with just DND spending, Canada would be short about $15.2 billion without other creative ways to count defence spending.