OTTAWA – Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says Canada’s aging fighter jets need to be replaced soon, but there’s no timeline at present for when — and how — that’s going to happen.
Sajjan was addressing the defence and aerospace industry on the subject on Wednesday morning in Ottawa, and also faced questions from reporters over the fighter jet program.
WATCH: Harjit Sajjan discusses procurement process for replacing Canada’s CF-18s
The Liberals committed during last fall’s election campaign to scrap the previous government’s plans to buy Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and hold an open competition to decide which jet should be purchased instead.
But last month media reports suggested they were considering going ahead with a sole-source purchase of the Boeing Super Hornets.
READ MORE: Is there really a ‘capability gap’ when it comes to F-35 fighter jets?
Sajjan says no decision has been made on which plane to buy, but one is needed soon or the air force will go from managing what he claims is an existing capability gap to a capability loss.
He says he won’t made a decision until he has all the necessary information in front of him — and that’s still being gathered.
WATCH: Canada not reaching NATO, NORAD commitments due to ‘capability gap’