The prospect of Canada completing the purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth jets looks bleak amid rising tensions between Ottawa and Washington.
President Donald Trump announced on January 29 that the US was decertifying Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatened to impose a 50% import tax on all aircraft manufactured in Canada until the country’s regulator certified aircraft manufactured by rival Gulfstream.
“Based on the fact that Canada has wrongfully, illegally and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700 and 800 Jets, one of the greatest, most technologically advanced airplanes ever made, we are hereby decertifying their Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in Canada, until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certified,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“Canada is effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through this very same certification process. If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all aircraft sold into the United States of America,” he added.
Notably, although a President has directly decertified jets, we know that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for certifying aircraft to operate in US airspace, is currently run by a Trump appointee. The final decision reportedly rests with the FAA specialists.
It is worth mentioning here that the Canadian-based Bombardier and Gulfstream are fierce rivals in the business jet market. According to Gulfstream’s own website, several of its jets, including the G450, G350, GV, G550, and G500, have been certified by Transport Canada to some degree.
Bombardier took cognizance of Trump’s remarks and told reporters that it was in discussions with the Federal government over the issue.
“Our aircraft, facilities, and technicians are fully certified to FAA standards and renowned around the world,” Bombardier said in a statement, adding it is expanding US operations. “We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact on air traffic and the flying public.
Referring to Trump’s announcement over the business jets, Rasmus Jarlov, a Conservative Danish MP, wrote on X: “This is exactly why countries should not buy F-35s. I am sorry we did. Get out of as much American as possible that this man can use to extort your country.”
The Unabating US-Canada Tensions
Trump soured relations with Canada when he first called the world’s second-largest country the 51st state of the United States, a move Ottawa saw as an attack on its sovereignty. This was followed by the Trump administration imposing unprecedented tariffs, which prompted the Mark Carney government to re-evaluate its ties with Washington.
The tensions seemed to be tapering off over the last summer as Washington and Ottawa worked to negotiate some tariff relief. However, the talks broke down again as Trump took offence to an Ontario government advertisement that cited former President Ronald Reagan’s criticisms of tariffs.
The spat between the two countries took an ugly turn recently when Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Canada “makes a deal with China.”
Carney, on his part, took a defiant approach earlier this month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, when he warned against great powers using “economic integration as weapons” and said that the “old order is not coming back,” without directly mentioning the United States.
Fuming at the “aggressive comments”, Trump responded by saying, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
The Canadian Prime Minister hit back, saying that the two countries have a strong partnership built on security, trade, and cultural ties, but he made it clear: “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Trump later cancelled his invitation for Carney to join the ‘Board of Peace.’
Following this spat, the US President referred to Mark Carney as “governor” for the first time, once again implying that the neighbouring country could be the 51st state of the United States. Before this, Trump had referred to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the governor.
If this was not enough, some US State Department officials reportedly also met with Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a separatist group advocating a referendum on whether the energy-rich western province should leave Canada.
The meetings triggered concern in Ottawa, with officials calling upon the US to refrain from interfering in their country’s internal affairs.
“I expect the US administration to respect Canadian sovereignty,” Carney said, adding that he was clear on the issue in a conversation with Donald Trump.
Canada’s F-35 Purchase Has A Bleak Future?
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.
However, after taking office in March this year, PM Carney announced that his government would review the purchase amid burgeoning tensions with the Trump administration. He said that the country would be looking for alternatives, particularly in Europe.
As per the plan, the RCAF will take delivery of the 16 F-35s already paid for, but is assessing whether to proceed with the remaining 72 warplanes.
While the review’s results are still awaited, these tensions have only grown.
The US appears to be blackmailing Ottawa to complete the purchase, as Trump’s envoy to Canada recently warned there would be “significant consequences” for the continental defence alliance, NORAD (North American Air Defence), if Canada does not complete the purchase of 88 F-35A as initially planned. A detailed EurAsian Times report on this could be read here.
Not just that, Canadian troops are even preparing for a potential US invasion. The plan includes plans to use asymmetric tactics, drone warfare, and requests for European backup if the need arises, as recently reported by the EurAsian Times.
Moreover, Canada now has a credible alternative to the F-35 —the Saab Gripen, which had earlier lost to the American jet in the 2022 contest.
The Swedish defence giant SAAB has offered 72 Gripen E/F fighter jets and 6 GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to the Canadian Armed Forces, which would generate thousands of jobs in the country, as EurAsian Times recently reported.
The big question remains: will US-Canada tensions sink the F-35 deal, worth a whopping $14.2 Billion?
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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