The Liberal government is expected to announce today that it will enter into final negotiations on purchasing the F-35 fighter jet.
Government and industry sources have told The Canadian Press the negotiations with manufacturer Lockheed Martin will be announced at a news conference this afternoon.
The sources spoke on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
While this doesn’t mean a deal to purchase the stealth fighter is officially done, it does mean Canada is on the verge of finally choosing a replacement for its aging CF-18s.
Should negotiations fall through, the government retains the option to enter into talks with Saab, whose Gripen fighter came second to the F-35 in the competition.
Canada is planning to buy 88 new fighter jets to replace its CF-18s. The government budgeted up to $19 billion for the purchase.
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