NDP wants Carney to kill U.S. fighter jet contract in favour of Swedish aircraft

By Canadian Press on February 4, 2026.

OTTAWA — The NDP says it wants Prime Minister Mark Carney to cancel contracts for U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets — including the 16 Canada already has committed to buying.

Citing Carney’s call for middle powers to work together in his World Economic Forum speech last month, Interim NDP Leader Don Davies says Canada should instead purchase Gripen fighter jets from the Swedish firm Saab.

The NDP’s statement comes just days after U.S President Donald Trump threatened to decertify Bombardier jets and impose a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aircraft unless Canada certifies a number of Gulfstream jets.

Davies says Canada cannot be “left vulnerable to the whims” of Trump or any future president who could withhold F-35 parts from Canada over policy disagreements.

While Canada launched a review of the F-35 contracts last year, no decision on the future of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fighter jet fleet has been made yet.

Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet has told The Canadian Press she wants to see her pilots learning to fly F-35s next year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2026.

— With files from Kyle Duggan.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press