Vanguard Magazine

F E AT U R E www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2025 15 extended from 2010 onwards; the current plan is for the first F-35s to arrive start- ing in 2026, and for the last CF-188 to stop flying in 2032 (for 50 years of service or more than twice the original estimate). Over the decades, the RCAF and Canadian industry have delved into every aspect of CF-188 maintenance and logistics support from airframe fatigue tests, software and structural upgrades, and complete avion- ics systems replacements. In times of crisis, the RCAF has shared with or borrowed from key allies' complete engines, avion- ics systems such as radios, targeting pods and weapons to meet operational commit- ments. The RCAF also acquired 15 spare airframes from the Royal Australian Air Force to extend the lives of its own fleet. This could only be done because of our shared logistics approach and the com- monality of spare parts, etc. Canada is currently a member of an eight-country partnership originally estab- lished in the 1990s to develop the F-35. That membership has brought significant advantages, including influence over the aircraft's capabilities, and preferential pric- ing. Additionally, this membership has been a key reason why Canadian defence firms, such as Magellan Aerospace in Win- nipeg, have been successful in securing contracts to supply parts for the F-35 fleet overall. As of 2025, 36 Canadian aerospace com- panies are providing parts for the F-35, collectively winning over US$3.3 billion (C$4.7 billion) in supply contracts. Each F-35 that rolls off the assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas, contains an estimated US$2.3 million worth of Canadian-sup- plied parts integrated into its airframe. Canadian industry will also have further sustainment opportunities related to the Canadian and global F-35 fleet. Opportu- nities are expected in areas such as airframe and engine depots, training and mainte- nance of components over the life of the fleet. The cancellation of Canada's F-35 pur- chase would therefore directly affect doz- ens of companies and by extension the live- lihoods of thousands of Canadian workers employed in the F-35 supply chain and create unnecessary logistical challenges. And finally, extensive preparations are well underway specifically to receive the F-35. Hundreds of construction workers at the two main Canadian fighter bases are build- ing infrastructure specifically designed for the F-35. L3 Harris has been selected as a strategic maintenance partner to help maintain the Canadian F-35s in Mirabel, Quebec, saving hundreds of engineering jobs that would have disappeared when the CF-18s retired. Even more importantly, Canada would lose its links with an already established community of allies and partners already using the F-35 jet. The Royal Norwegian Air Force, for example, has already taken delivery of its 52nd and final aircraft. Oth- er key allies, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, and Denmark also have well-established F-35 fleets. The sheer number of F-35 aircraft (1,100+) al- ready means the logistics and maintenance supply chains are well established and will be in operation for the next 30 to 40 years minimum. Orders for the F-35 could eventually exceed 2,000 airframes. The other fighter in the Canadian Next Generation Fighter competition was the Swedish-made Saab Gripen, which has so far been purchased by several non-NATO countries such as Brazil, South Africa and Thailand, along with three NATO allies and the overall numbers are much smaller "Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics." — Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Commandant of the Marine Corps)

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