OTTAWA — Canada's Liberals have won a landslide general election victory, with young leader Justin Trudeau ending a decade of Conservative rule and having pledged that he would remove Canada from the F-35 program and select a less costly aircraft to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18 fighter jets. The savings from such a move would be redirected into naval shipbuilding, according to Trudeau.
An 88-page election platform released by the Liberals Oct. 5 said the party would "make investing in the Royal Canadian Navy a top priority. By purchasing more affordable alternatives to the F-35s, we will be able to invest in strengthening our Navy."
Trudeau said under his leadership Canadian aerospace firms would receive equal or more work on a new fighter jet project that would invite bids from a variety of firms.
The other potential contenders to replace Canada's CF-18s are the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale, Boeing's Super Hornet and Saab's Gripen.
Lockheed Martin, builder of the F-35, has not commented on Trudeau's plan but has said Canadian firms working on the program might not be kept if the country doesn't buy the aircraft.
