On Monday, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Filomena Tassi and Minister of Defence Anita Anand announced the process of initiating negotiations, as one of the final steps in a process that has been underway for approximately 12 years, to outfit the air force with new technology by purchasing F-35 fighter jets to replace the four-decade-old CF-18s.Â
Canada’s fighter replacement project represents one of the largest RCAF investments in more than 30 years. However, the initiative is a setback for the Liberal government, which in 2015 had taken a stance against the purchase of F-35 models for questioning the effective operation of the stealth fighters.
