[Ottawa – December 17, 2025] As the debate over Canada’s next-generation fighter jet continues, Canadians are leaning decisively away from an all-F-35 future.
I’m kinda shocked people have strong opinions on fighter planes of all things. I barely know those two models of plane exist. I would answer “don’t know”.
The question isn’t as much “Which of the two fighter jets are better suited for service” as it is “Do you want our military to be dependent on the US military-industrial complex or on the European?”
Do you know that the aircraft need servicing after every flight, otherwise it’s grounded, and that supplies would come from the country of origin? US for F35. Sweden for Grippen.
It’s not about money. It’s about which country you trust to keep supplying you and not use your dependency to control how and when you use your planes.
Big investments like this are often very politicized-even before Trump and all-because it’s to a large degree just geopolitics. Gripen is in all likelihood the better alternative, but F35 has been considered an excellent choice for countries wishing to suck up to America. Until recently sucking up to America was considered good defense policy among parts of the political spectrum.
The question was not only about the fighter jets themself. The participants got the necessary information in the question, see the caption in the graphics.
I’m kinda shocked people have strong opinions on fighter planes of all things. I barely know those two models of plane exist. I would answer “don’t know”.
The question isn’t as much “Which of the two fighter jets are better suited for service” as it is “Do you want our military to be dependent on the US military-industrial complex or on the European?”
Do you know that the aircraft need servicing after every flight, otherwise it’s grounded, and that supplies would come from the country of origin? US for F35. Sweden for Grippen.
Does that change your outlook?
Lots of parts on Gripen are from US, but they will at least get less money.
It’s not about money. It’s about which country you trust to keep supplying you and not use your dependency to control how and when you use your planes.
I guess, but I still wouldn’t feel qualified enough to offer a confident answer. There are lots of factors.
So in Europe there was a desire to send F35s into conflict in Ukraine. US said no by saying that servicing supplies would not be made available.
Sovereign nations are unable to use their planes how they want to.
Now with Gripen it might be a similar situation, but Sweden has been trustworthy thus far.
Big investments like this are often very politicized-even before Trump and all-because it’s to a large degree just geopolitics. Gripen is in all likelihood the better alternative, but F35 has been considered an excellent choice for countries wishing to suck up to America. Until recently sucking up to America was considered good defense policy among parts of the political spectrum.
The question was not only about the fighter jets themself. The participants got the necessary information in the question, see the caption in the graphics.
Come on mate. Elbows up
Someone hasn’t been paying attention.