Daniel Otis, CTV News »

With the US becoming an increasingly unpredictable ally, some defence experts are expressing concerns about the deal to upgrade Canada’s air force.

“One of the main selling points of the F-35 was that we would have reliable access to spare parts for 40 years,” Carleton University international affairs chair Stephen Saideman told CTVNews.ca. “Now that reliability is much less certain.”

“The problem with the F-35 is not with the aircraft, the problem is with its operating concept,” former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) commander Yvan Blondin said in a recent social media post. “The reality is that, without U.S. consent, no country can hope to operate the F-35 for long: the U.S. controls its operating software, updates, upgrades, maintenance, parts and armament.”