Canada has officially ordered 88 F-35A by signing off on the final contract to replace the Canadian air force's (RCAF) ageing CF-18 Hornets, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Monday.
The RCAF will start receiving the F-35A Lightning II aircraft in 2026, and the first F-35 squadron will be operational in 2029.
The Canadian government has begun to build all the infrastructure required for the operation of the F-35A.
The Canadian Treasury Board has given the go-ahead for the Department of National Defence to spend $5.14 billion for 16 F-35As from the United States in the first batch.
In the tender for selecting a new fighter in Canada, the F-35A managed to beat Sweden"s Saab Gripen NG.
