Future Fighter Capability Project

Current status

Canada’s Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) is implementing the replacement of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 Hornets with the Lockheed Martin F-35A, designated CF-35A in Canadian service. The published program remains an 88-aircraft acquisition, but the government is reviewing whether to proceed with the full F-35 fleet. As of 14 September 2026, no publicly announced decision has superseded the F-35 selection or established a Canadian Gripen acquisition. Aircraft production, infrastructure and training preparations continue while that decision remains unresolved. DND program overview; Defence Minister David McGuinty, 20 July 2026; AP’s September 2026 reporting.

Program and procurement status

FFCP covers the aircraft and the equipment, weapons, facilities, information systems, training and initial sustainment needed to introduce them into service. Its purpose is to preserve Canadian fighter capability for sovereignty missions and NORAD and NATO commitments. Canada finalized the acquisition arrangement in December 2022 and announced it on 9 January 2023. Then defence minister Anita Anand presented the F-35 selection as the means to equip the RCAF to protect Canadian airspace and respond to international security demands. The agreement involves the US government, Lockheed Martin and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. DND project briefing; PSPC announcement, 9 January 2023.

The F-35A’s key capabilities include advanced radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors, voice and data-link communications, networking and data fusion, alongside interoperability with allies. DND technical information.

The weapons package is also advancing. On 8 July 2026, Carney announced an approximately C$800 million Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile contract for Canada’s future fighters. Kongsberg linked Canada to its previously anonymous 30 June award. JSM is designed for internal carriage on the F-35A and land and maritime strike; Canadian missile quantities and delivery dates were not disclosed. This is an air-launched weapon acquisition, separate from the Army’s strike projects. Janes, 9 July 2026; Prime Minister’s announcement; Kongsberg confirmation; Kongsberg design description.

Financial commitments have advanced in successive tranches within the published fleet plan. In October 2025, deputy defence minister Stefanie Beck described an initial tranche of 16 aircraft, with firm funding then committed for eight and long-lead items supporting the first 12. February 2026 reporting subsequently identified advance-component payments for 14 additional aircraft. This supports a distinction between the 88-aircraft program, its initial 16-aircraft tranche and advance procurement extending into a further 14; it does not establish that 30 complete aircraft have been paid for. PACP evidence, 7 October 2025; AeroTime, 13 February 2026.

What officials are saying

Prime Minister Mark Carney, answering questions in the Commons on 10 February 2026, acknowledged additional F-35 payments as a means of retaining defence and negotiating options, while confirming the acquisition remained under review. He did not announce a revised fleet or a new aircraft selection. House of Commons Hansard, 10 February 2026, p. 5664.

Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, told the Public Accounts Committee on 7 October 2025 that fifth-generation capability was necessary to credibly deter technologically advancing adversaries. On operating different aircraft types, she confirmed that some infrastructure, training and support requirements would be duplicated. She also emphasized preserving Canada’s close NORAD integration throughout the fighter transition. PACP evidence, 7 October 2025.

Major-General Chris McKenna, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division and the Canadian NORAD Region, told TWZ in an interview published 18 December 2025 that the 88-aircraft requirement combined worst-case NORAD demand, NATO commitments and force generation. His explanation connects the fleet number to concurrent tasks and the aircraft needed to train and sustain the force. TWZ interview.

Competition and program history

The current project followed an earlier 65-F-35 planning exercise, whose acquisition funding was frozen under the government’s April 2012 seven-point review. The eventual open competition was launched in December 2017. Its 2019 solicitation weighted technical merit at 60%, cost at 20% and economic benefits at 20%, with an opportunity for bidders to remedy mandatory-compliance deficiencies. DND, 2014 annual update; PSPC solicitation announcement, 23 July 2019.

Sources: DND competition chronology; PSPC eligible bidders, 1 December 2021; DND finalization briefing, 2022; Airbus withdrawal statement, 30 August 2019; Defence News, Dassault withdrawal.

Saab remained eligible at the end of bid evaluation; Lockheed Martin subsequently entered finalization as the top-ranked bidder. Finalization required confirmation that the proposed contractual instruments met Canada’s requirements before the acquisition agreement could receive final approval. DND finalization briefing.

Timeline and milestones

Sources: PSPC 2021 announcement; DND 2022 briefing; PSPC 2023 announcement; DND review background; Commons, 10 February 2026. July sources are detailed below.

Current alternatives and industrial positioning

Saab is promoting Gripen E as a potential addition to Canada’s future fighter force, with Canadian production, training and sustainment. CBC reported in January 2026 that its 12,600-job proposal was tied to a package of 72 Gripens and six GlobalEye surveillance aircraft. That was a supplier proposition spanning two aircraft programs, rather than an approved fighter fleet or a measured employment outcome. CBC, syndicated by Yahoo, 14 January 2026.

The proposition became more specific during July. Saab and CAE signed a conditional MOU covering Canadian pilot and technician training, simulation and sensitive mission-systems engineering. Micael Johansson, Saab CEO, said on 17 July 2026 that the partnership would retain critical expertise and operational information in Canadian hands. Five days later, GE Aerospace and Magellan announced conditional F414 engine maintenance, repair and overhaul at Magellan’s Mississauga facility. Both arrangements depend on a Canadian Gripen purchase. Saab–CAE, 17 July 2026; GE–Magellan, 22 July 2026.

Canada also announced GCAP observer status on 21 July 2026, providing access to assess a future role in the UK–Italian–Japanese sixth-generation program. It is not a Canadian fighter purchase. McGuinty had described GCAP participation and the nearer-term fighter review as separate considerations on 20 July. DND GCAP announcement; Breaking Defense, 20 July 2026.

Saab also pitches a Canadian line as a source of aircraft for export customers. Aviation Week reported that ambition in February and a renewed industrial-hub proposal in August. These remain supplier propositions; neither report establishes a Canadian production award or delivery allocation. Aviation Week, 4 February 2026; 24 August 2026, public introductions.

Vendors and Canadian work

DND’s April 2026 Senate briefing identified 37 Canadian companies with active F-35 contracts and more than US$3.6 billion, approximately C$5.2 billion, in cumulative contracts to over 110 Canadian participants. These are global F-35 supply-chain figures, not expenditure solely on Canada’s aircraft. The briefing put Canadian content at approximately C$3.3 million per aircraft as of December 2025. DND Senate briefing, 27 April 2026.

Sources: PSPC acquisition agreement; DND Canadian suppliers; Lockheed Martin–MAS, 21 April 2026; Saab–CAE; GE–Magellan.

The MAS agreement establishes a framework and steering process for a depot; the facility is not yet operational, and the announcement does not disclose a fully priced long-term maintenance contract. Likewise, the Gripen MOUs document conditional industrial roles. The two aircraft campaigns contain different mixtures of existing work, planned facilities and prospective business. Lockheed Martin–MAS announcement.

Budget and delivery

All figures below are Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.

Sources: PSPC, 9 January 2023; DND program estimate; Auditor General, Report 2, June 2025; PBO, 2 November 2023.

These figures answer different questions. The PBO estimate predates the revised acquisition estimate; it is not a refreshed 2026 life-cycle total. The additional C$5.5 billion should not be added to both figures, nor should separate, overlapping infrastructure announcements be stacked onto FFCP without reconciling their scope.

For JSM, the amended CanadaBuys record displays C$692.65 million, compared with the Prime Minister’s approximately C$800 million announcement. The reviewed records do not reconcile that difference or establish how the amounts overlap FFCP’s wider estimate. They should not be added together. CanadaBuys, amended 13 August 2026; Prime Minister, 8 July 2026.

DND’s 2026–27 plan schedules the first aircraft at Luke Air Force Base in 2026, Canadian pilot training there, arrival in Canada in 2028, initial operational capability in 2029, and full operational capability in 2033. The initial eight aircraft are intended for US-based training. The standing project webpage retains broader IOC and FOC windows of 2029–30 and 2032–34. These are planning milestones, rather than evidence of completed deliveries or operational acceptance. DND 2026–27 plan; DND delivery background; project milestone windows.

Infrastructure and personnel remain central execution risks. The Auditor General found permanent fighter-squadron facilities were expected in 2031, more than three years late, and warned about shortages of qualified pilots and incomplete implementation planning. An interim operating solution is therefore needed. DND says CF-18 retirement will conclude in 2032, making the transition schedule consequential regardless of the eventual aircraft mix. Auditor General, June 2025; DND, 27 April 2026.

The transition also depends on aerial refuelling. The F-35A requires a boom; Canada’s existing CC-150 tanker equipment uses hose-and-drogue refuelling. The incoming CC-330 Husky introduces both systems. DND schedules the first tanker-configured delivery in 2027 and initial operational capability in 2028–29. McKenna interview; Airbus configuration; DND tanker program.

The wider F-35 support system adds another risk. The US Government Accountability Office’s June 2026 report found fiscal-2025 rates of 44% mission capable—able to perform at least one tasked mission—and 25% fully mission capable, able to perform all missions. GAO identified shortages of parts, constrained industrial capacity and contractor dependence. These are US fleet results, not Canadian readiness projections. The implication for Canada is the importance of its spares, maintenance workforce and depot arrangements alongside aircraft delivery. GAO, 11 June 2026.

Decisions to watch

The immediate decision is the extent of the F-35 acquisition and whether Canada adds another fighter. Subsequent decisions must establish any revised fleet quantity, contracted industrial work, delivery sequence and sustainment model. For suppliers, the practical distinction is between existing global F-35 production business, funded Canadian implementation activity and work that remains conditional on a future aircraft decision. For the RCAF, the governing constraint is replacing retiring Hornets while generating enough trained personnel and usable infrastructure to field the successor capability.

Sources

All sources were checked against the 14 September 2026 cutoff. Live pages without publication dates are identified as such.

1. Department of National Defence. Future Fighter Capability Project. Page dated 6 October 2025; accessed 14 September 2026.
2. Public Services and Procurement Canada. Canada finalizes agreement to purchase new fighter jets for Royal Canadian Air Force. 9 January 2023.
3. House of Commons, Public Accounts Committee. Evidence, meeting 8. 7 October 2025; Stefanie Beck’s opening statement and Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet’s testimony.
4. Clement Charpentreau, AeroTime. Canada’s Carney confirms new payments tied to 14 additional F-35 fighters. 13 February 2026.
5. House of Commons. Debates, No. 83. 10 February 2026, p. 5664.
6. DND. Next Generation Fighter Capability Annual Update 2014. 2014; archived, webpage dated 3 January 2019.
7. PSPC. Canada announces next step in future fighter competition. 23 July 2019.
8. PSPC. Government of Canada announces key milestone in process to replace Canada’s fighter jets. 1 December 2021.
9. DND. Question Period Note: Future fighter capability project. Received 12 September 2022; covers the 28 March 2022 finalization decision.
10. Airbus Defence and Space / UK Ministry of Defence. Withdrawal from Canada’s Future Fighter Capability Project. 30 August 2019.
11. David Pugliese, Defence News. Dassault withdraws from Canada’s fighter jet competition. Displayed publication date 7 November 2018; updated with Canada’s confirmation of 8 November notification.
12. DND. Status report on transformational and major capital projects: 2026–27. 13 March 2026.
13. DND. NDDN: Supplementary Estimates (B). Briefing for 4 December 2025; published in 2026 disclosure collection.
14. CBC News, syndicated by Yahoo. Saab wants Canada to buy 72 Gripens and 6 GlobalEyes to fulfil promise of 12,600 jobs. 14 January 2026.
15. Saab. Saab and CAE Sign MOU for Gripen in Canada. 17 July 2026.
16. GE Aerospace. GE Aerospace and Magellan Aerospace Sign Memorandum of Understanding for F414 Sustainment. 22 July 2026.
17. DND. Minister McGuinty concludes United Kingdom visit focused on strengthening defence cooperation. 21 July 2026.
18. Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo, Breaking Defense. Joining GCAP would not impact current-gen fighter decision: Canadian defense minister. 20 July 2026; direct reporting from Farnborough.
19. DND. SECD: Mandate, Priorities, and NATO 2%. Senate appearance briefing, 27 April 2026; fighter section approved 17 April.
20. Lockheed Martin / L3Harris MAS. MAS and Lockheed Martin Announce F-35 Sustainment Partnership in Quebec. 21 April 2026.
21. Office of the Auditor General. Report 2—Delivering Canada’s Future Fighter Jet Capability. June 2025 report; tabled 10 June 2025.
22. Albert Kho, Christopher E. Penney and Carleigh Busby, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The Life Cycle Cost of Canada’s F-35 Program—A Fiscal Analysis. 2 November 2023.
23. The Associated Press. Trump threatens Canadian jetmaker Bombardier, which has an extensive US footprint. 8 September 2026; accessed 14 September 2026. Confirms that the F-35 review and Saab’s Canadian manufacturing proposal remained active.
24. Janes. Canada selects the Joint Strike Missile, 9 July 2026. Canadian weapons-acquisition reporting.
25. Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Carney secures new defence partnerships at the 2026 NATO Summit, 8 July 2026. Official JSM announcement and approximate value.
26. Kongsberg. Canada becomes sixth nation to select Joint Strike Missile, 8 July 2026. Identifies Canada as the customer behind the June award.
27. Kongsberg. Successful fit check for JSM, 11 June 2013. Internal-carriage design and weapon roles; not evidence of completed Canadian integration.
28. CanadaBuys. W847A-240386 — Procurement of Joint Strike Missile — CW2384171, awarded 30 June 2026; amended 13 August 2026. Contract value and term.
29. Howard Altman, TWZ. Canadian NORAD Commander’s View On Future F-35 Fighter Force, displayed publication date 18 December 2025. Direct interview on fleet size and tanker dependence.
30. Airbus. The Government of Canada orders 4 new Airbus A330 MRTTs, 25 July 2023. Canadian tanker refuelling configuration.
31. National Defence. Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project, accessed 14 September 2026. Tanker-specific delivery and readiness milestones.
32. US Government Accountability Office. F-35 Sustainment: Actions Needed to Ensure Updated Strategy Improves Persistent Readiness Challenges, 11 June 2026. US fleet evidence and support-system risks.
33. Robert Wall, Aviation Week. Saab Sees Potential Canada Production Line Serving Other Gripen Buyers, 4 February 2026. Public introduction only.
34. Tony Osborne, Aviation Week. Gripen ‘Perfect Match’ For Canada, Saab CEO Says, 24 August 2026. Public introduction only; conditional industrial-hub proposal.