Cost of F-35A fighter jet program has ballooned to more than $33B, auditor general finds
OTTAWA—The federal government has spent $713 million on its paused plan to buy F-35A fighter jets through the U.S. government, while the total cost of the program is now far higher than previously advertised, with delays and inflation helping push the original price tag of $19 billion to at least $33.2 billion, a new auditor general's report has found.
After years of review, the Liberal government decided in 2022 to return to previous plans to replace Canada's aging fleet of decades-old fighters with 88 F-35As purchased through the U.S. government and built by American defence industry giant Lockheed Martin for $19 billion.
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National Observer
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