Liberals looking at alternatives to Super Hornets as dispute with Boeing rages
OTTAWA — It once appeared the Liberal government would almost certainly buy Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co. — but it’s now clear that other options are on the table.
Aside from the Super Hornets, the government are also pondering used jets and could even end up extending the lives of Canada’s CF-18s as its dispute with Boeing continues to escalate.
Speaking to reporters in Kelowna, B.C., where Liberal MPs are meeting before the return of Parliament, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the government is actively looking at alternatives to the Super Hornets as an interim fighter.
“We had identified that the Super Hornets could potentially fill that gap, but … Boeing has not been a partner, especially when it comes to dealing with our aerospace sector,” Sajjan said Wednesday.