Ottawa, October 26 – Canada has received its first two F-35A Lightning II fighters at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where they will support Royal Canadian Air Force personnel training. These CF-35A jets represent the initial arrivals in a planned 88-aircraft fleet designed to replace the aging CF-18 Hornets and enhance national air power.
The government-to-government acquisition agreement was approved in January 2023. The first Canadian F-35 completed its maiden flight in Texas on September 23. Eight fighters are scheduled to be based at Luke Air Force Base to enable pilot and maintainer training before the transition to domestic bases.
The first aircraft are expected to arrive in Canada in 2028. The fleet is set to reach initial operational capability by the end of 2030, and full operational readiness by the end of 2034, coinciding with the projected end of CF-18A/B Hornet service lives in the mid-2030s. Training in Arizona will ensure readiness for the new-generation fighters.
Canada also plans to complement the F-35 fighters with six Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. A production contract for these platforms could be signed by the end of the year, strengthening the integrated air surveillance and defence architecture of the modernised force.