ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The new-age fighter jet with a ballooning price tag that bumped it from top spot to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fleet has made its inaugural visit to Canada.
A pair of F-35 stealth fighters roared into British Columbia on Thursday in preparation for the Abbotsford International Airshow.
The federal Liberal government promised during last year’s election campaign that it would hold an open competition to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fleet, but it also pledged not to buy the F-35.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper committed in 2010 to buying 64 of the stealth fighters for Canada.
However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told House in June that the F-35 “is far from working.”
CF-18s were purchased in 1980s and designed to last 20 years, but the former Conservative government opted to spend $400 million to overhaul the fleet to keep the 77 aircraft in operation until at least 2025.