Update, 26 October 2026, 18:01
The low-key nature of the handover has drawn notice. FlightGlobal reports that, unlike other international F-35 customers, there was no unveiling ceremony or delivery fanfare at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility, a reflection of the programme's uncertain status.
The RCAF has released a statement on the delivery, saying: "The future of air and space power is built on more than equipment alone. We are developing the skilled people, integrated capabilities, and modern tools we need to meet future challenges at home and abroad."
The Gripen picture has grown more complex since the existing article was published. FlightGlobal reports that Canada is now negotiating with Saab over the acquisition of six GlobalEye airborne early warning and control jets as a potential package deal alongside the Gripen E/F, and that Saab chief executive Micael Johansson attended the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa this week, saying he expected "more of a feeling where we are after that conference." Canadian industry minister Melanie Joly, speaking at a Globe and Mail defence summit on 14 October, said decisions could come within weeks, telling the audience: "We'll take decisions, and the decisions we'll take, I think, within a couple weeks," though she declined to specify which programmes she meant. Joly also confirmed that the final call rests with Prime Minister Carney, and that around 30 Canadian firms are already suppliers to Lockheed's global F-35 assembly operations. Aviation A2Z notes that the programme's published full operational capability window runs to 2032 to 2034, with the fleet expected to remain in service beyond 2060.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has accepted its first two CF-35A Lightning II fighters, formally introducing the type into Canadian service while the government continues to debate the size of its eventual fleet. The two jets were received on 22 October 2026.
Air Data News reports that the aircraft were accepted at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where they will remain in the United States to support the initial training of Canadian pilots and maintainers. They will not move to Canada immediately.
What Has Been Delivered
The RCAF announced the delivery on social media on Friday, sharing a photograph taken in Phoenix showing one aircraft wearing a maple-leaf roundel. The Globe and Mail reports that the air force did not immediately say when pilot training with the new jets will begin.
The delivery follows the first Canadian F-35A completing its maiden flight at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility in Texas on 23 September 2026, a little over a month before acceptance. Canada plans to base its first eight CF-35As at Luke during the initial training phase.
The Path to Canadian Bases
According to Air Data News, the first aircraft are not expected to arrive on Canadian soil until 2028, with initial operational capability planned for 2029 to 2030.
The RCAF is preparing infrastructure at two main operating locations: 3 Wing Bagotville in Quebec and 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta. Construction and preparations at both bases are already under way ahead of the aircraft's domestic arrival.
Luke Air Force Base already hosts international F-35 training programmes, giving Canada an established environment in which to prepare its personnel before the type begins operating from home bases.
How Canada Got Here
Canada selected the F-35A in 2022 and signed its acquisition agreement in January 2023 for 88 fighters, intended to replace the ageing CF-18 Hornet fleet. Air Data News values the programme at C$19 billion, including aircraft, associated equipment and initial sustainment.
The CF-35A designation is Canada's name for its conventional takeoff and landing variant of the F-35A. You can explore more about the aircraft and its manufacturer using the Manufacturer Search tool.
The Review Casting a Shadow Over the CF-35A
The delivery milestone does not resolve the question of how many jets Canada will ultimately buy. The Globe and Mail reports that Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused plans to proceed with the full order of 88 aircraft, and Ottawa may instead pursue a mixed fleet.
Carney launched the review in 2025 amid a deterioration in relations with the United States, following repeated trade and annexation threats from US President Donald Trump. Air Data News notes that Canada remains committed to purchasing at least the first 16 aircraft, but has not confirmed whether it will proceed with all 88.
The review was supposed to have concluded a year ago, according to The Globe and Mail.
The Gripen Option
The possibility of a mixed fleet has drawn attention to Saab's Gripen E as a potential complement to the F-35. Air Data News notes that Saab has promoted the Swedish fighter to Ottawa and has offered Canadian production and industrial participation as part of any potential deal.
The Globe and Mail also reports a separate concern raised by former foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy, who warned in a blog post that Washington controls the software used by F-35 jets. Last year, Trump suggested providing allies with jets of limited capability in order to maintain American supremacy.
US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has described the F-35 as "the best fighter in the world," according to The Globe and Mail.
The Bottom Line
Canada has crossed a symbolic threshold by taking its first CF-35As into service, but the political and strategic questions surrounding the full programme remain open. Ottawa is committed to the first 16 jets, and the training pipeline at Luke Air Force Base is now moving forward.
Whether Canada ends up with 88 F-35As, a smaller F-35 fleet complemented by Gripens, or some other arrangement will depend on the outcome of a review that is already running well behind schedule. The arrival of aircraft in Canada from 2028 onwards gives the government a hard deadline by which it will need to have resolved its position.
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