The federal Liberal government’s decision to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets may not be ideal, an expert says.
• Read more: Canada will get 88 F-35 fighter jets for nearly $20 billion
While he admits that the F-35 system has many advantages, former military intelligence officer Simon Leduc thinks “the plane is bad.”
“A lot of problems arise with this flight. In 2022, in South Korea, there were 234 problems and 172 groundings in 18 months. A lot of issues arise,” he says.
He could not explain why the government chose this device.
According to him, the company that manufactures the F-35, Lockheed Martin, is well known for doing everything to get contracts. Pressure from the Americans may also have been in the balance.
Simon Leduc believes that by the time this new fleet is delivered, the technology will be outdated, especially allowing the aircraft to remain in stealth mode.
Many countries say that in a few years the aircraft will be detectable in stealth mode and the current usefulness will no longer exist.
