The Royal Canadian Air Force accepts the first delivery of two Lockheed Martin CF-35A Lightning II, 5th-generation stealth multirole combat aircraft, one as shown in this handout photo. The delivery was accepted at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona United States of America on Oct. 22, 2016.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-Canadian Forces Combat Camera-Cpl Nicholas Brunshaw (Mandatory Credit)
Canada receives its first F-35 jets from U.S., as full order remains under review
Oct 25, 2026 | 12:43 PM
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OTTAWA — Canada has received its first pair of new F-35 fighter jets, with Ottawa still deliberating how many of the American planes it will buy.
The Royal Canadian Air Force announced Friday on social media that it received the two Lockheed Martin jets, sharing a photo from Phoenix showing one plane with a maple-leaf roundel.
The air force did not immediately say when it will start training pilots with the new planes, which U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra recently hailed as “the best fighter in the world.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with a planned order for 88 of these stealth fighter jets, and Ottawa may instead have a mixed fleet that includes Gripen jets made by Saab.
