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| An F/A-18F Super Hornet of the Royal Australian Air Force |
David Pugliese
VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Canadian government wants to acquire the Super Hornet to fill its fighter-jet capability gap on an interim basis, a move that would also take the pressure off the country’s prime minister on the thorny political issue of the F-35.
Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised during last year’s election campaign his government would never buy the F-35 joint strike fighter, but that plane is still favored by Canada’s air force. Any decision to exclude the F-35 from a competition to acquire new jets could also spark a messy legal battle.
But the proposed deal to buy Super Hornets on an interim basis would push off any fighter competition well into the late 2020s, allowing Trudeau to keep his election promise while dealing with the issue of replacing the country’s aging fleet of CF-18 jets.
Read the full story at DefenseNews