Monday's ceremony will highlight the fact that Canada's first F-35 is in the final stages of assembly on Lockheed Martin's production line in Fort Worth. With a black pen, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, will sign the fuselage bulkhead to be installed on the first Canadian F-35. (Simon Lasalle/Radio-Canada)The secretary of state responsible for defence procurement, Stephen Fuhr, said the F-35 review was launched after Trump's inauguration a year ago. He said that regardless of Canada's decision, maintenance on Canadian fighter jets should continue at L3Harris's facilities in Mirabel, Que. Weighing Canada’s fighter jet options: F-35 vs Gripen | Duration 5:00 With the future of Canada’s fighter jet fleet being re-examined, CBC’s Murray Brewster breaks down the differences between the American F-35 and Sweden’s Gripen.

Source: CBC News February 02, 2026 12:03 UTC