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35-fighter-jet-deal


Canadian general who recommended F-35 deal now calls for purchase of other 
jets

Retired Lt.-Gen. Yvan Blondin says building Canada’s future fighter force 
solely on the American-made F-35 would be “irresponsible” given the 
hostility of the U.S. government.
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David Pugliese  •  Ottawa Citizen
Published Mar 27, 2025  •  Last updated 9 hours ago  •  3 minute read
44 Comments
 
Retired Lt.-Gen. Yvan Blondin headed the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2012 
to 2015. Photo by Photo by Cpl Levarre McDonald/8 /Postmedia
Article content

The air force general who recommended Canada buy the F-35 fighter jet now 
says the purchase should no longer go forward as planned because the U.S. 
has become so untrustworthy.

Retired Lt.-Gen. Yvan Blondin, who headed the Royal Canadian Air Force from 
2012 to 2015, argues that the American-built F-35 was the best fighter jet 
for Canada to operate in a world where alliances were anchored by the 
United States.
 

But all that has changed with the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. 
“Reliance on a US defence umbrella, a critical factor since the end of WW2 
for so many countries, is no longer guaranteed,” Blondin wrote in a March 
25 post on LinkedIn. “No affected country can afford to close its eyes and 
hope that 2026 or 2028 elections in the US will bring everything back to 
‘normal’… and not happen again. The toothpaste cannot go back in the tube.”

Trump has threatened to harm Canada’s economy and has talked about annexing 
this country. He has mulled about seizing Greenland and the Panama Canal 
and under his administration the U.S. has cozied up to Russia.

Blondin wrote that because of the U.S., Canada is now fighting for its very 
existence.

The retired general, a former fighter pilot, recommended to Conservative 
prime minister Stephen Harper that Canada purchase the F-35 from Lockheed 
Martin. Harper’s government announced the acquisition but eventually that 
was put on hold because of the increasing cost and technical problems 
associated with the F-35.
 

The Liberal government announced in 2023 it was spending $19 billion to buy 
88 F-35s. But Canada has only financially committed to purchasing the first 
16 jets.

Blondin said the problem with the F-35 is not the aircraft itself; it is 
the complete control the Americans have over all aspects of the plane.

“The reality is that, without US consent, no country can hope to operate 
the F-35 for long,” Blondin said.

He said building Canada’s future fighter force solely on the F-35 would be 
“irresponsible.”

F-35 United States Canada Ottawa Citizen
Yvan Blondin said building Canada’s future fighter force solely on the F-35 
would be “irresponsible.” Photo by Jack Boland /Jack Boland/Toronto Sun

Liberal Leader Mark Carney ordered a review of the F-35 purchase in the 
wake of an increasingly hostile United States and Trump’s threats towards 
Canada.

Blondin said there is still time before a decision has to be made to 
purchase the remaining 72 F-35s. The solution, he added, may be a mix of 
some F-35s and other aircraft from European nations, while at the same time 
spending money for future aircraft being developed by Europe.
 

“We may find for example that 36 F-35 and 150 other fighter aircraft such 
as Rafale or Gripen could be a better strategic, economic, and military 
posture while investing heavily in 6th gen developments,” he explained.

Blondin dismissed claims that Canada could not support two different types 
of fighter jets and argued that the country could quickly purchase a new 
aircraft.

Carney confirmed March 17 that he had discussions with French and British 
government officials about whether those countries could build a fighter 
jet in Canada.

In addition, there have been suggestions that the Swedish-built Gripen, 
which came second in the Canadian fighter jet competition, could provide a 
solution for Canada. The Swedes had promised to build the Gripens in 
Canada.

Blondin said Canada now needs to develop a defence strategy based on the 
new realities of changes in the U.S.
 

Former defence procurement chief Alan Williams and various defence analysts 
have warned that the F-35 represented a strategic vulnerability for Canada 
since the U.S. has total control over software upgrades and spare parts on 
the aircraft.

Supporters of Canada’s F-35 purchase point to the hundreds of millions of 
dollars worth of contracts that Canadian companies have earned by supplying 
parts for the U.S. aircraft. That, in turn, has sustained or created 
Canadian aerospace jobs.

But on Feb. 28, the National Post reported that Trump had told Lockheed 
Martin he wanted those jobs back in the U.S. when the Canadian contracts 
came up for renewal.

David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and 
military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content 
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