Aircraft
Canada Ponders CF-18 Fighter Replacement
The new government in Ottowa will evaluate competing fighters, rather than automatically buying F-35s per previous plans.
A CF-18 takes to the skies carrying an AIM-7 Sparrow missile, two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, two GBU-10 2,000-pound guided bomb units, three external fuel tanks and one forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) pod. (Photo: RCAF)
A CF-18 takes to the skies carrying an AIM-7 Sparrow missile, two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, two GBU-10 2,000-pound guided bomb units, three external fuel tanks and one forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) pod. (Photo: RCAF)

The recent decision by Canada to purchase 18 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft raises questions about the future role of Washington’s neighbor to the north in the Lockheed Martin F-35 program. Ottawa had originally signed up as Tier 3 partner for the F-35, with a plan to purchase 65 of the F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) version.