Lockheed Martin underscores Canada’s central role in F-35 program amid rising U.S. pressure.

On January 16, 2026, Lockheed Martin emphasized Canada’s long-standing integration into the F-35 program, citing projected industrial activity exceeding C$15.5 billion through 2058, as recent U.S. statements have renewed scrutiny of Canada’s dependence on U.S.-controlled defense supply.

On January 16, 2026, Lockheed Martin stated that Canada’s participation in the F-35 program is projected to generate more than C$15.5 billion (approximately US$11.6 billion) in industrial value through 2058, an estimate tied to Canada’s planned acquisition of 88 F-35 fighter jets and to a broader industrial activity involving more than 110 Canadian suppliers. The statement comes after an increased political pressure from Washington has prompted renewed discussion in Canada about F-35 procurement, including the reconsideration of alternatives such as the Swedish Saab Gripen.
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Canada is scheduled to receive its first F-35 Lightning II fighter jets in 2026, as the initial batch consisting of 16 units was formally approved in December 2022, but the remaining 72 F-35s are expected to be purchased through phased contracting. (Picture source: US DoD)

The company specified that more than 110 Canadian firms are integrated into the global supply chain, with each aircraft incorporating over C$3.2 million in Canadian-made components sourced from six provinces. This projection is directly linked to Canada’s planned acquisition of 88 aircraft and to manufacturing, maintenance, and upgrade activities extending over several decades. The statement positioned Canada as an industrial partner embedded across the entire global fleet rather than as a participant limited to national deliveries. Lockheed Martin further reminded that Canada supplies parts, systems, and technology that are installed in every F-35 currently flying, involving more than 110 Canadian companies since the start of the F-35 program.

Each F-35 in the world contains Canadian-made components valued at about C$3.2 million (roughly US$2.3 million) per jet, with contributions drawn from suppliers in six provinces, including panels and parts made by firms such as Stelia Aerospace in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and structural components produced by Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg. Canadian involvement spans airframe elements, avionics inserts, machined components for wing tie bars, propulsion-related ducts, and other machined parts that are integrated during final assembly in Fort Worth, Texas. As of 2025, Canadian firms have collectively won supply contracts valued at over US$3.3 billion, covering a range of products from precision-machined parts to structural assemblies, and sustainment opportunities are projected to continue as the F-35 global fleet continues to grow.

The F-35 Lightning II introduces a set of capabilities that differ significantly from those of the CF-18 Hornet, as the F-35 is built with a low-observable airframe and coatings to reduce radar detection, enabling operations in contested airspace that earlier CF-18 fighters could not penetrate. The F-35 incorporates advanced avionics with active electronically scanned array radar systems such as the AN/APG-81 and the later AN/APG-85, which provide long-range target detection, tracking, and high-resolution ground mapping while integrating multiple functions, including electronic attack and support measures, into a single sensor suite. The aircraft also uses the AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System, a set of infrared sensors that provide full spherical coverage for missile launch detection, aircraft tracking, and imagery for the pilot’s helmet-mounted display, increasing situational awareness relative to legacy sensor configurations.

In addition to its sensor and signature characteristics, the F-35’s design emphasizes data fusion and network connectivity, allowing the aircraft to consolidate inputs from onboard systems and share information securely with other forces in real time. This integrated battlespace picture contrasts with the CF-18 Hornet, whose avionics and sensor packages are designed around separate radar, targeting pods, and communication systems without the same level of automated fusion. The F-35 carries internal weapons in stealth-optimized configurations and has supersonic performance with extended mission range, supporting multirole strike, air-to-air, and reconnaissance tasks in a single airframe. Its communications suite includes secure data links for interoperability with allied forces, and its electronic warfare capabilities are integrated with the sensor and mission systems, providing detection, jamming, and self-protection functions as part of the aircraft’s design.

The renewed communication by Lockheed Martin comes as the political context surrounding Canada’s F-35 procurement has hardened following explicit threats made by Donald Trump toward Canada, in which the F-35 procurement has again become more exposed to uncertainty. Trump has directly accused Canada of benefiting unfairly from access to the U.S. defense and industrial base while maintaining trade practices he considers hostile to U.S. interests, including in aerospace, aluminum, and advanced manufacturing. He has publicly linked defense cooperation to trade compliance and has warned that allies unwilling to align economically could face tariffs, reduced industrial access, or political retaliation.

In this context, the F-35 has stopped being perceived in Canada as a purely military acquisition and has increasingly been viewed as a potential leverage point in a broader U.S.-Canada power relationship. These statements have had a concrete impact on how the F-35 is discussed domestically, as Trump has explicitly raised the possibility that U.S. defense exports and support could be reassessed if Canada were to pursue policies contrary to U.S. trade or strategic priorities. He has also signaled that future U.S. administrations could review access to sustainment, upgrades, or industrial participation for countries seen as insufficiently aligned, a message that directly touches the F-35 given its dependence on U.S.-controlled logistics, software, and sustainment chains.

This rhetoric has led Canada to more openly examine exposure risks tied to the program, including its dependence on U.S. political decisions, continuity of industrial access, and long-term autonomy. In parallel, when Ottawa signaled that it would therefore reassess alternatives such as the Saab Gripen. Therefore, Trump publicly warned that Canada could face “serious consequences” if it moved away from U.S.-built F-35, stating that Canada’s access to U.S. defense industrial cooperation and future military integration should not be taken for granted if procurement decisions were used to favor non-U.S. manufacturers.

Amidst this renewed debate, it is worth remembering that Canada’s involvement in the F-35 Lightning II program began in 1997, when it joined the early Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstration phase, followed by formal entry into the multinational partnership in 2002 as a Level 3 participant. This status required financial contributions to development and granted Canadian companies the right to compete for contracts across the entire global fleet, without guaranteed offsets. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Canada remained an industrial partner while continuing to operate the CF-18 Hornet, postponing a final procurement decision as the aircraft moved from development into low-rate and then full-rate production. During this period, alternative fighter aircraft considered or discussed for Canada included the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab Gripen, reflecting an extended evaluation process rather than a single-point decision.

The procurement entered its decisive phase in 2022, when Canada selected the F-35A and committed to the acquisition of 88 aircraft to replace the CF-18 fleet, establishing the largest fighter procurement in Canadian history by unit count. The program then shifted from selection to implementation, including infrastructure adaptation, training pipelines for pilots and maintainers, sustainment planning, and base security arrangements required for fifth-generation aircraft operations. As of early 2026, more than 1,270 F-35 aircraft have been delivered globally, while Canada is scheduled to receive its first F-35 Lightning IIs in 2026, as the initial batch consisting of 16 fighters was formally approved in December 2022 to cover early transition needs, including pilot and maintainer training, initial operational conversion, and the establishment of sustainment and security procedures.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.