Lockheed F-35A Lightning II CAF, Aviation and Space Museum, Canada, 2010 1:72 Diecast Model Plane by Hobby Master

The F-35 has become a political football in Canada. In 2010 the Conservative Prime Minister announced the government would purchase 65 F-35s by 2020 to replace the CF-18. To sell this decision a wooden mock-up of the F-35 was made and displayed at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa. In 2012 an Auditor General's report stated the costs were very understated and the purchase was halted. In the 2015 election the Liberals promised to cancel the order and ever since the F-35 has been in limbo even in 2022.

Designed to meet the US Military's requirement for a multi-role Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 was first flown on December 15, 2006. This single-seat fighter is one of the most advanced aircraft of our time, said to be four times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground combat than any other existing aircraft. It uses a low-maintenance stealth technology, and some versions have an innovative Lift System, which gives the F-35 vertical take-off and landing capabilities. The US plans to buy a total of 2,443 F-35s at a cost of $323 billion, which makes the F-35 the most expensive defense program in history.