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submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Summary

Canada is reconsidering its F-35 fighter jet purchase amid rising tensions with the Trump administration.

Defence Minister Bill Blair stated Canada is exploring alternatives to the $19-billion contract for 88 jets, suggesting Canada might accept the first 16 already paid for while sourcing remaining aircraft from European suppliers like Saab.

This follows Trump's tariff threats and comments about "annexing Canada by economic force."

The Swedish-built Saab Gripen, which finished second in the competition, offers assembly in Canada, thus avoiding dependence on U.S.-based maintenance.

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[-] hikuro93@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 day ago

Shouldn't even be up for consideration at this point. Buy jets from trustworthy people (like EU), and if you want total defense independence start building the framework to build Canadian jets for when these ones approach EoL.

[-] 7rokhym@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 day ago

Sane countries with coherent foreign policy release this type of messaging in advance of reversing a $70 billion dollar contract. The F35 deal is dead. The trillions of dollars worth of goodwill and brand damage Trump has done to the US is hard to fathom. He is like a category 5 hurricane crossing the US for 40 days and 40 nights. #UnitedStatesOfEmbarrassment

[-] hikuro93@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago

Yeah. Agreed.

[-] perestroika@lemm.ee 50 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not continuing to buy aircraft from a country whose current leader threatens with hostile action seems only 100% reasonable.

I would advise them to keep the ones they have, though - given their current threat model, until the US president changes, they need a "red team" to practise against.

[-] LeninsOvaries@lemmy.cafe 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

They should send their pilots to Ukraine to practice until the war with America starts

Or Israel. The IDF might be too tough, though.

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 19 points 1 day ago

I read that it's trivially easy for the US to remotely disable those planes. Seems like a security concern to use them.

[-] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

That alone should be reason enough to not buy it. I bet it's not even trivial to verify if that's the case which gives even more reason to not go ahead with the purchase.

[-] Fredthefishlord 3 points 1 day ago

Yeah you read a lot of things. Doesn't mean they're true.

[-] Quexotic@infosec.pub 2 points 23 hours ago

Correct. I did follow up today and read some more sources and it sounds like it's not quite as simple a story, but the dependence on the US military seems to be a significant issue. I found a better article with a more nuanced take here if you're interested in that sort of thing: https://theaviationist.com/2025/03/10/f-35-kill-switch-myth/

[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 109 points 1 day ago

Why would we want brickable planes from an aggressor?

[-] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 41 points 1 day ago

This would be like the US buying MiGs during the cold war.

[-] mmddmm@lemm.ee 35 points 1 day ago

The Migs aren't always online, controlled by a cloud.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

It's still buying proprietary tech from an enemy. It's fucking stupid.

[-] shani66@ani.social 2 points 1 day ago

Frankly, i think buying military equipment is stupid from the outset. Buy the designs if you really gotta have a third party design, but a government should be the sole hand in all of its most important programs/functions. It's like private healthcare or private infrastructure, it's too important to leave in the hands of a bad economic system.

They weren't even solid state!

[-] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago

because they have AI!

[-] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago

I feel like Canada has smart enough engineers to fix that issue.

[-] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 24 points 1 day ago

It’s a part of the software, which is a classified black box only the US sees into.

[-] BevsDad@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

Didn't Israel get access to the code as part of their contract? Kinda wish we had asked for the same thing now...

[-] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 4 points 1 day ago
[-] BevsDad@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago

Hmm, looks like it's still running the locked US codebase but they were allowed to install their own electronic addons to it.

[-] stardust@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 day ago
[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago

It is insane that anyone buys F35's with DRM

[-] stardust@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 day ago

Need empress to get on this.

[-] LeninsOvaries@lemmy.cafe 6 points 1 day ago

She's probably on Trump's side tbh

[-] shani66@ani.social 2 points 1 day ago

She's a lunatic, but if you pay her she'll still do it

[-] notsoshaihulud@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Time to look into purchasing Swedish National Bonds, 'cause those Grippens will be grippin.

[-] puppinstuff@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago

Gripens! You love to see it.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I'd love to see if it wasn't "considers".

[-] Teknikal@eviltoast.org 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'd try and join one of the two European projects for a sixth gen fighter the main ones being Bae (Tempest) or Dassault/Airbus (FCAS).

[-] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago

Can the US shut down the planes from afar? Why would Canada submit to this purchase if that is a factor?

[-] Stealth_Bummer@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Maybe they can get in on BAE Systems Tempest and help to push things forward.

this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
441 points (100.0% liked)

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