Canada to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets

OTTAWA: Canada announced plans on Monday to buy 88 US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets to replace its aging fleet, with deliveries to start as early as 2025.

The F-35 "has proven to be a mature, capable and interoperable aircraft and that is why we are moving to the finalization phase of this procurement," Defence Minister Anita Anand told a joint news conference with Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi.

"Canada has one of the greatest air spaces in the world and we have to make sure that our next fleet of fighter jets is flexible, agile and able to meet a wide spectrum of threats," she said.