EXCLUSIVE: ‘One decision will not kill Norad,’ U.S. ambassador says of Canada’s possible mixed fighter jet fleet

OTTAWA – U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says when it comes to Canada’s ongoing F-35 fighter jet review, a potential mixed fleet will not put Norad in jeopardy.

“One decision will not kill Norad,” Hoekstra said in an exclusive broadcast interview with CTV News chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos.

“What we’re always going to look for is what is the total capability that we believe we need to keep America safe, that we need to keep North America safe, the Western Hemisphere safe from the threats that are out there,” he later added.

For more than a year, the federal government’s 2023 purchase of several dozen F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. company Lockheed Martin has been under review, launched amid rising tensions with the United States. Of the total 88 planes agreed to in the initial deal, 16 are currently in production.

Swedish-based company Saab, meanwhile, has thrown its hat in the ring amid the ongoing review, pitching its Gripen fighter jets to the federal government with a promise to produce the planes in Canada and create up to 10,000 manufacturing and research jobs.

Multiple industry sources have told CTV News that the federal government is considering a mixed fleet of fighter jets that could total more than its initial target of 88 aircraft.

And Defence Minister David McGuinty would not rule out that possibility in an interview with CTV’s Power Play earlier this month, saying the federal government is reviewing all needs across the armed forces, not just the Air Force.

Hoekstra’s latest remarks are a change to previous comments he made to CTV News more than a year ago.

Speaking to Kapelos last May, Hoekstra signalled Norad – the defence alliance between Canada and the U.S. – could be in jeopardy if Canada reneges on its plan to purchase F-35 fighter jets.

“If Canadians are flying one airplane, we’re flying another airplane, it’s no longer interchangeable,” Hoekstra said at the time. “And so, that might even threaten Norad without talking about new alliances that promise even more security and safety to our people.”

But in his latest interview with CTV News, when asked if the alliance is in jeopardy if Canada were to move forward with a mixed fleet, Hoekstra emphasized that the U.S. will “look at a whole series of decisions.”

“If you buy fighters that don’t integrate with the latest technology and the best airplane in the world, they don’t really count as full airplanes,” Hoekstra told Kapelos. “They’re capable and all that, but if they don’t link to an F-35, that’s a problem.”

Top soldier ‘not worried’ about staffing for fighter jets

In an exclusive interview with CTV Question Period also airing Sunday, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said the military has made its fighter jet needs clear to the federal government.

“From my perspective, we described what capability we need,” Carignan told Kapelos. “We have made those options very clear as to what was required, and now the government will make the best possible decision with that.”

Last fall, Carignan said despite the ongoing review, the Canadian military continues to move ahead with its preparations for F-35 jets, which includes pilot training and infrastructure needs.

A report from the Auditor General in 2025, however, found a shortage of qualified pilots could hinder the transition from CF-18 to F-35 jets, saying the planned training schedule “would not produce enough pilots by 2032-33 to meet the numbers required for Full Operational Capability.”

“To make the CF-35A fleet fully operational, the Royal Canadian Air Force will need more trained pilots,” the report also highlights.

Asked by Kapelos if the military could staff more than 88 fighter jets, Carignan said she is “not worried.”

“The plan is being crafted and implemented according to the sequence that fighter jets will be coming in,” Carignan said.

“We’re not going to get 88 in one shot. They will be coming in progressively, and we are currently at work in identifying the right personnel,” she added.

You can watch U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra and the Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan’s interviews on CTV Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.

With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk