Canada reviews F-35 purchases against the background of tensions with US

< IMG SRC = "/Uploads/Blogs/C3/FA/IB-FR073632P_A2A6BBBB1C.jpg" Alt = "Canada views the purchase F-35 against the background of tensions from the US"/> ~ ~ ~ < P > Canada is actively looking for potential alternatives to the American F-35 invisible fighter and will negotiate with competing aircraft manufacturers.

~ < p > The Minister of Defense of Canada Bill Blair late in Friday night, just a few hours after he was reconstructed to this position in the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Karney, reports “European Pravda” with reference to CBC News. < P > This statement was heard the next day after Portugal reported that she plans to refuse to purchase a high -tech military aircraft.

< p >Among Canadians there is a wide support of the idea to refuse to buy aircraft worth $ 19 billion and find other planes except those produced and serviced in the US.

< P > After many years of delay, the Liberal Government in June 2023 signed a contract with the American defensive giant Lockheed Martin for the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

~ ~ ~ ~ < p > Talking about what is best for the common Canadian interests and defense of the country is currently happening with the military, Blair said in an interview with “Power and Policy” on CBC.

< p > “This fighter was determined by our military-air forces as the platform they need, but we also consider other alternatives & ndash; ndash; whether all fighters are F-35”, & ndash; said Blair.

< P > Canada has already allocated funds for the first 16 combat aircraft to be delivered early next year.

< p >Blair suggests that the first F-35 can be accepted and the rest of the fleet will be made up of planes European suppliers, such as Swedish Saab Gripen, which took second place in the competition.

~ < p > “The Prime Minister asked me to go and study these issues, as well as discuss them with other sources, in particular, where there may be opportunities for these fighter fighters in Canada,” & ndash; said Blair.

< P > It was an indirect hint of a Swedish proposal that promised that the collection would take place in Canada and intellectual property would be transferred to service planes in this country.

~ ~ ~ < P > Main maintenance, major repairs and software renewal on F-35 occurs in the US.

< p > The idea that Canada will have a mixed fighter fleet is something why the Air Force resisted for a long time, although they did it until the 1980s, when modern CF-18 were purchased. This would mean two different training modes, individual hangars and infrastructure, as well as another supply chain & ndash; All this that defensive planners insisted on for decades is too expensive.

< P > The media previously reported that Donald Trump is considering making significant changes to the US NATO's policy. According to officials, as part of a potential change in US policy may not protect a NATO member who has been attacked if this country has not reached a threshold level of defense costs.

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