Canada has picked Lockheed Martin Corp as the preferred bidder to supply 88 new fighter jets, Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi said Monday, in a clear sign the US company is set to win the multibillion-dollar contract, APA reports citing CNN.
The move indicates Canada -- under pressure to boost defense spending as the war in Ukraine rages -- is closer to making a decision that has dragged out for more than a decade.
"This announcement marks another important milestone in Canada's competitive process to purchase modern fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force," Tassi said.
Canada has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a decade to replace its aging F-18 fighters. The former Conservative administration said in 2010 that it would buy 65 F-35 jets but later scrapped the decision, triggering years of delays and reviews.
"The F-35 is in operational use by NORAD and NATO partners in missions around the globe. It has proven to be a mature, capable and interoperable aircraft and that is why we are moving to the finalization phase of this procurement," Defense Minister Anita Anand, speaking alongside Tassi, told reporters.
The federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will now only hold detailed talks with Lockheed Martin. Ottawa says it hopes to award the contract this year and take first deliveries in 2025.
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