Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand is set to give an update Monday on the military’s plan to replace the existing fleet of fighter jets.
The announcement on Monday morning is regarding the “Future Fighter Capability Project,” according to a government statement, but no further details were immediately disclosed.
The Canadian Press reported last month that the Department of National Defence received approval to spend $7 billion on 16 F-35 fighter jets along with related gear, technology and facilities.
The expected move is part of a decade-long effort to buy 88 fighter jets to replace aging CF-18s.
The project, which is worth $15 billion to $19 billion, aims to deliver the first replacement aircraft as early as 2025.
In March 2022, the federal government announced that it had entered into the “finalization phase of the procurement process” with the United States government and U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin.
Experts have long argued upgrades to the fighter jet fleet and its associated infrastructure are necessary given the state of the Air Force’s current equipment and facilities.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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