Ottawa –
The Division of Nationwide Defence just lately acquired quiet approval to spend $7 billion on 16 F-35 fighter jets and associated gear.
Two defence sources, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate issues not but made public, stated a funding request despatched to the Treasury Board bought the inexperienced gentle earlier this month.
The Canadian Press additionally seen a doc summarizing this request to Treasury Board, which is the division that controls the federal purse strings, and independently verified its accuracy.
The funding approval got here after months of negotiations with the U.S. authorities and Lockheed Martin after the F-35 beat out Sweden’s Saab Gripen in a contest earlier this 12 months.
Whereas the federal authorities has stated it plans to purchase 88 new fighter jets to exchange its growing old CF-18s between 2026 and 2032, the sources stated Canada will…