The Commander of NORAD (North American Air Defence) has said that the American F-35 Lightning II is “not needed” for the North American defence at a time when Canada is dealing with its own F-35 predicament and reviewing the purchase of the American stealth fighter.
NORAD is a bi-national initiative between the United States and Canada and includes missions such as aerospace warning, control, and the defence of North American airspace, which depend on an integrated network of radar, satellites, and fighter aircraft on both sides of the border.
NORAD’s structure ensures the closest available aircraft, regardless of which side of the border it’s on, can respond first to threats, enabling faster intercepts.
Earlier this month, the US commander of NORAD, US Air Force (USAF) General Gregory M. Guillot, told a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that fifth-generation fighters such as the F-35 aren’t needed to defend North America.
“Frankly, we don’t need fifth (generation) to defend our borders,” Guillot told the committee. “Those capabilities are better used overseas where their stealth, air-to-ground weapons, and penetration capability are needed,” Guillot added, emphasising that fifth-generation fighters have a role to play in attacking overseas targets.
The US and Israel have shown that the F-35, with its stealth capabilities, allows it to operate with greater impunity in contested environments and can be a critical asset for offensive operations.
The comments come as the F-35s are currently deployed to West Asia to support the US-Israel “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran. This deployment comes less than a year after the jets were deployed to escort the B-2 stealth bombers that struck Iran’s nuclear facilities as part of “Operation Midnight Hammer” in June 2025. And before the ongoing Iran war, the jets were deployed to the Caribbean ahead of the raid in Venezuela that led to the extraction of former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
However, General Guillot’s statement dismisses the role of the stealth fighter in defending the North American airspace.
He emphasised that NORAD’s role focuses on defensive interception and the protection of continental sovereignty, which often involves quick-reaction alerts against aircraft entering air defence identification zones (ADIZ). This typically does not demand the F-35’s full stealth and sensor-fusion advantages, which are more useful in high-threat, offensive scenarios far from home bases.
In contrast, Canadian defence policymakers and military officials have repeatedly stated that the F-35 is needed to defend Canadian sovereignty and airspace, contribute to NORAD, and meet NATO obligations.
In fact, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has linked the F-35 to NORAD modernisation, citing the need for advanced sensor fusion and situational awareness that would be useful in the Arctic against evolving threats posed by Russian bombers, cruise missiles, or potential hypersonic or low-observable threats.
The service has also often stressed seamless interoperability with US forces, including data-sharing networks central to NORAD operations, as well as the long-term capability to counter higher-end threats.
The US and Canadian forces used F-35s alongside F-16s and F-18s in actual NORAD intercepts. For instance, NORAD scrambled US F-35s and F-22s and Canadian CF-18s to intercept Russian military aircraft over Alaska as recently as March 4, 2026.
Speaking to the Senate committee, General Guillot said NORAD needs more advanced fourth-generation (not fifth-generation) fighters, citing the Boeing F-15EX—the most advanced variant of the Eagle that has formed the backbone of US air superiority missions for decades. The F-15EX is currently being integrated into the USAF and has been purchased by Israel, but has seen limited export success overall.
Intriguingly, the statement comes as Canada sits on a review of its purchase of 88 F-35A stealth fighters. In fact, in January 2026, the US Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, warned there would be “significant consequences” for NORAD if Canada did not complete the purchase of 88 F-35As as initially planned. Additionally, the ambassador said, “If Canada is no longer going to provide that [capability], then we have to fill those gaps,” adding that the US military will intervene more frequently in Canada.
For now, it is not clear whether the Pentagon will decide to replace the F-35s with F-15EXs or other aircraft for NORAD duties, in line with General Guillot’s opinion. However, the timing of this statement is impeccable as it comes amid discussions about Canada’s long-debated plan to acquire F-35s to replace its ageing CF-18s and contribute to NORAD.
Canada’s F-35 Quandary
The Canadian government inked a CAD19 billion (US$14.2 billion) deal with Lockheed Martin in January 2023 to acquire 88 F-35 fighter jets in four tranches by 2032 to replace the ageing CF-18 jets. However, the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, put the acquisition under review in March 2025 amid escalating tensions with the Trump administration, as previously explained in detail by EurAsian Times.
The government has since clarified that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will induct the 16 jets that have already been paid for, while reviewing the remaining 72.
While the review was expected to be published by the end of summer 2025, it has been pushed indefinitely with no clarity on when a decision will be made.
As of now, the Canadian government has the option to buy 72 Gripen E/F 4+-generation fighter jets from the Swedish company SAAB. Earlier this year, SAAB offered 72 Gripens and 6 GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to the Canadian Armed Forces, adding that it would create 12,600 jobs locally.
“The government is interested in all major projects that can not only protect Canada’s security and sovereignty, but also create jobs across the country,” Canada’s Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC News after SAAB’s offer. ”We certainly can’t control President Trump, but … we can control our defence investments, who we award contracts to, and how we are ultimately able to create jobs in Canada. So we’re going to focus on that.”
Officials and experts in Canada are currently studying the proposals for both aircraft, i.e., the F-35 and the Gripen, to assess the defence and economic feasibility of procuring them. However, amid sustained political differences and the Trump administration’s persistent high-handedness toward Ottawa, this has complicated decision-making.
According to reports in the Canadian media, RCAF officials have urged the Carney government to complete the purchase, arguing that the F-35 is pivotal to the integration and cooperation of the two NORAD partners. Some have also cited the November 2025 leak, which revealed that the F-35 received a 95% rating while the Gripen received just 33% in a 2021 evaluation conducted by Canada’s Department of National Defence.
RCAF officials and veterans have warned against operating a mixed fleet comprising the American F-35 and the Swedish Gripen, labelling it a logistical nightmare. The RCAF commander, Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet earlier said, “Both China and Russia have fifth-generation fighter aircraft and fifth-generation missiles that can go at much greater speeds and with much more that are holding Western allies at risk at this moment in time.” Thus, indicating a clear inclination towards the F-35.
In fact, the commander travelled to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth production facility earlier this year to sign the fuselage bulkhead for the first Canadian F-35. The jets will be handed to the RCAF sometime later this year.
On its part, the Canadian government has been sending out mixed signals about its position on the F-35 purchase. Last month, for instance, it began making payments for key components for 14 additional F-35s. These expenses were allegedly intended for the purchase of “long-lead items,” or essential components such as avionics, structural assemblies, and other parts that must be ordered years in advance due to the intricate, worldwide production line run by Lockheed Martin. These parts must be purchased far in advance of the delivery of a finished aircraft.
The indefinite F-35 review in Canada and the payments for extra parts, according to some analysts, indicate that Canada may have reached a “no return” threshold. Others, though, think Ottawa is simply being cautious.
While the NORAD Commander has dropped a bombshell, saying NORAD does not need F-35s, one thing is certain: Canada will eventually pledge the F-35s it has purchased for North American defence. Whether it completes the purchase of all 88 F-35s, however, remains to be seen.
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