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Lockheed Martin officials coming to Canada to tout maintenance plan
for F-35s

   Daniel Leblanc
   | CBC News | Posted: April 17, 2026 6:47 PM | Last Updated: 2
   hours ago

   Canada ordered 88 F-35s in 2023, but began reassessing its
   options after Trump took office

   Image | f-35-avion-martin-lockheed

   Caption: Lockheed Martin is set to announce on Tuesday that
   Canada's future F-35s will be maintained at L3Harris's
   facilities in Mirabel, Que. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP)
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   Senior executives from Lockheed Martin will be in Quebec on
   Tuesday to confirm that they plan to service Canada's F-35
   aircraft at the L3Harris facilities in Mirabel, which are
   currently used to maintain Canada's CF-18 fleet.
   The announcement will be their first major outing on Canadian
   soil since Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last year that
   he was reviewing the government’s plans to purchase 88 F-35s.
   Sources said Lockheed Martin will try to avoid making waves on
   the highly political and complex file, but will reiterate plans
   to fulfil its commitment to service Canadian aircraft in
   Canada.
   Canada ordered a total of 88 F-35s for the Royal Canadian Air
   Force in 2023, but the government decided to reassess its
   options after U.S. President Donald Trump took office and
   increased trade and political friction with the Canadian
   government.

   Image | CF-18 3

   Caption: (L3Harris)
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   Among other things, the government is considering a mixed fleet
   of fighter jets composed of F-35s as well as Swedish Gripens.
   Canada has a firm order for 16 F-35 aircraft, to begin delivery
   later this year, to replace Canada's aging fleet of CF-18s. As
   CBC recently revealed, Canada has discreetly begun to incur
   expenses toward acquiring another 14 F-35 aircraft.
   Several politicians have been invited to Tuesday's event in
   Mirabel, but National Defence Minister David McGuinty and
   Industry Minister Mélanie Joly do not plan to attend. Senior
   American executives from Lockheed Martin and L3Harris are
   expected at the event.

   Image | sms-isr--mas-facility-mirabel

   Caption: (L3Harris)
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   In its media advisory, Lockheed Martin said its agreement with
   L3Harris "will provide Canada with greater control over
   aircraft maintenance, reduce reliance on overseas logistics and
   enhance operational readiness."
   L3Harris is still trying to convince the governments of Canada
   and Quebec to offer funding to help modernize its facilities in
   Mirabel. The company has said thousands of jobs in the region
   are at stake.
   L3Harris is hoping to transform its Mirabel facilities, which
   are currently used to service CF-18s, into a maintenance depot
   for Canadian and American F-35s.
   L3Harris estimates the modernization plans will cost about $200
   million, primarily to enhance security.

   Image | f35-trump

   Caption: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with an F-35
   fighter pilot as he tours Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix in
   2018. L3Harris considers maintaining American F-35s in Mirabel
   essential to safeguarding jobs until the arrival of the
   Canadian fleet. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
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   The Quebec government has signaled that it would be willing to
   invest in the project, which has the support of the Bloc
   Québécois.
   "Aircraft maintenance is value-added work. Planes are
   disassembled and reassembled, so it’s cutting-edge expertise,"
   said Jean-Denis Garon, the Bloc Québécois MP for the riding of
   Mirabel.
   "Ottawa needs to apply to be a North American regional depot,
   rather than just a Canadian national depot."

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