F-35 spare parts will be U.S. property until installed on Canadian planes

An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet practises for an air show appearance in Ottawa on Sept. 6, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Spare parts for Canada’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets will be owned by the U.S. until the moment they are installed on Canadian aircraft. With the U.S. becoming an increasingly unpredictable ally, some defence experts are expressing concerns about the deal to upgrade Canada’s air force.

“One of the main selling points of the F-35 was that we would have reliable access to spare parts for 40 years,” Carleton University international affairs chair Stephen Saideman told CTVNews.ca. “Now that reliability is much less certain.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned Canada’s sovereignty, launched a trade war against allies, and created uncertainty about U.S. commitment to defence alliances like NATO. That has put Canada’s contentious multi-billion dollar plan to buy American F-35s back in the spotlight.

“The problem with the F-35 is not with the aircraft, the problem is with its operating concept,” former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) commander Yvan Blondin said in a recent social media post. “The reality is that, without U.S. consent, no country can hope to operate the F-35 for long: the U.S. controls its operating software, updates, upgrades, maintenance, parts and armament.”

First F-35 deliveries expected in 2026

So far, Canada has committed to buy 16 of the stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin at a cost of nearly US$85 million each. The first four warplanes are expected to be delivered in 2026 along with spare parts at RCAF bases in Cold Lake, Alta. and Bagotville, Que. The aircraft are meant to replace Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets, which first entered service in 1982.

From bolts to jet engines, countries that fly the F-35 technically share a pool of spare parts that are managed by contractors, but remain Pentagon property until the moment they are installed on another country’s aircraft. The spare parts arrangement is outlined in a 2023 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The U.S. also controls all F-35 software updates.

While the previous Liberal government had announced its intention to buy a total of 88 F-35s at a cost of more than $19 billion, Prime Minister Mark Carney has ordered a review of those plans amid heightened tensions with the White House.

“We’re taking delivery of a number of F-35s already under the existing contract,” Carney told reporters in April. “What we’re reviewing, in effect, is the back end of the contract to ensure that we’re getting value for money, that we’re sure that we’re maximizing not just our ability to protect Canada, but the economic benefits here in Canada – and we are considering it in the context of alternatives.”

U.S. transfers F-35 parts from Denmark to Israel

The spare parts issue made headlines in Denmark after the U.S. transferred F-35 components from a Danish base to Israel, which also uses the aircraft. Facing criticism over Israel’s reported use of F-35s in the Gaza War, Denmark’s government has said it has no way to stop such shipments.

With Trump repeatedly threatening to seize Greenland from Denmark, a Danish member of Parliament has now expressed regret for previously encouraging his country to buy the aircraft.

“The U.S.A. can certainly disable the planes by simple stopping the supply of spare parts,” Rasmus Jarlov, chairman of Denmark’s defence committee, said in a March 19 post on X. “I can easily imagine a situation where the U.S.A. will demand Greenland from Denmark and will threaten to deactivate our weapons and let Russia attack us when we refuse.”

Denmark now has 15 of the 27 jets it purchased. Other countries that operate F-35s include Japan, the U.K., Australia, Norway and Belgium.

Should Canada be considering other fighter jets?

Jarlov’s sentiments were echoed by Blondin, who supported Canada’s initial F-35 purchase when he commanded the RCAF between 2012 and 2015.

In a March 25 LinkedIn post, Blondin argued that the F-35 really was Canada’s best choice based on strong NATO and Norad military alliances, which have been upended by the Trump administration.

“Reliance on a U.S. defence umbrella, a critical factor since the end of WW2 for so many countries, is no longer guaranteed,” Blondin wrote. “The toothpaste cannot go back in the tube.”

Blondin is now encouraging Canada to consider operating a “mixed fleet” that also includes aircraft from European countries like France and Sweden.

“There are currently no better performing alternatives to the F-35, but there are better trusted alternatives, especially in the coming years,” Blondin said. “Building Canada’s future fighter force solely on the F-35 today, hoping for the best, would be irresponsible.”

Canada’s defence department stands by F-35

Saideman, who is also the director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network, says that despite current uncertainties, acquiring other aircraft models would just be too costly and time-consuming.

“So, the government does not have much choice but hope that by the time we have the planes in significant numbers, the U.S. has returned to the status quo ante—a reliable ally that won’t use F-35 spare parts as leverage,” he said.

Rob Huebert is a political science professor and the interim director of the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. Like Saideman, Huebert says the F-35 remains Canada’s best option.

“Looking at the growing threat and capability of the Chinese and Russians into the future, only this aircraft has the system capability to meet the threat,” Huebert told CTVNews.ca. “Trump will pass in three years. The air threat from Russia and China will not.”

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, Canada’s Department of National Defence confirmed the country’s commitment to the F-35 program.

“The strength of the F-35 program lies in its global partnership, and there is a commitment to providing all users with the full functionality and support they require,” a National Defence spokesperson said via email. “Canada will own all parts installed on its aircraft and will be the owner and operator of its procured CF-35A aircraft, and retains all control related to the operation, airworthiness, and safety of flight of its fleet.”