F-35’s Could Need Costly Upgrade

In order to be able to refuel the fighter jets in midair, Ottawa will either have to pay to redesign the plane or buy a new fleet of air tankers.

The cost of the most expensive military procurement in Canadian history might be going up. Defence officials are trying to find a way to conduct midair refueling of the F-35 jets Ottawa plans to purchase, as the fueling system the military uses on the current fleet of CF-18’s is incompatible with the F-35. The opposition has criticized the Conservative government’s plan to go ahead with the purchase of 65 F-35’s, arguing the $16-billion price tag is too high and the plane is not suited for Canada’s defence needs. That price will almost certainly go higher as will have to pay to have the plane’s fueling system redesigned, or purchase new refueling planes that are compatible with the current design.