Mr. Speaker, this week the U.S. ambassador said, “NORAD would have to be altered” if Canada were to pull back on the F-35 purchase, suggesting that the United States would have to take over operations to address threats if we did not have the correct aircraft to do it.
On Monday, at the national defence committee, we heard from the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who said clearly that the F-35 is the only fighter jet with the advanced capabilities that our air force needs.
This week, the Minister of National Defence said that the file is still “under review”, but we heard testimony last fall that the review was complete and on the Prime Minister's desk. Which is it?
The F-35, a fifth generation stealth fighter jet, won the competition the government ran, easily defeating its lesser competitors. It is the only aircraft capable of carrying out the operations required. Our air force is calling for this aircraft and our allies are calling for this aircraft. What more does the Prime Minister need to see?
When will the Prime Minister commit to purchasing all 88 F-35s that our air force and our allies need?