In the short term, Canada's fighter jet fleet is in a terrible position. The CF-18s should have been replaced and scrapped a decade ago, and we should already have a fleet of F-35s. But the past cannot be changed, so the best we can do is get things right from now and move forward.
In that spirit, purchasing the F-35 is the best move to ensure Canada has a robust air force in the medium term. With all jets set to be purchased by 2032, and the earliest being ready to fly (including pilot training time) by 2028, Canada could be operating some fifth-generation fighters within 3 years.
In the interim, we should be ramping up our domestic drone industry (in cooperation with Ukraine), as well as expanding our air defence capabilities, to at least recreate in aggregate the tactical air power and air combat power that we currently lack due to the obsolescence of the CF-18s.
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