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Canada announces fighter jet purchase
OTTAWA, Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay announced plans Friday to buy a new fleet of fighter jets from Lockheed-Martin.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters would replace the existing CF-18s, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2016, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The total value of the contract is $9 billion Canadian ($8.5 billion U.S.), MacKay said. A maintenance contract would probably double that.
"It's yet another shining example that our government will always ensure that the Canadian Forces have the best," MacKay told reporters in Ottawa.
OTTAWA, Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay announced plans Friday to buy a new fleet of fighter jets from Lockheed-Martin.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters would replace the existing CF-18s, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2016, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The total value of the contract is $9 billion Canadian ($8.5 billion U.S.), MacKay said. A maintenance contract would probably double that.
"It's yet another shining example that our government will always ensure that the Canadian Forces have the best," MacKay told reporters in Ottawa.