Canada's 40-Year-Old CF-18 Hornets Are Running Out of Airframe Life. Replacing Them Became Its Biggest-Ever Fighter Fight

Canada’s aging CF-18 Hornets are nearing the end of their airframe lives, driving what the article calls the largest fighter decision in Canadian history. The Royal Canadian Air Force relied on 138 CF-18s acquired in the 1980s, but structural fatigue is shrinking the fleet; roughly 72 to 85 airframes are still flying, with service lives running out in the early 2030s. Canada selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 in 2022 and ordered an initial batch, but a review launched in March 2025 reopened the procurement question amid deteriorating relations with Washington and rising acquisition costs. Ottawa is contractually committed only to the first 16 jets, leaving about 72 aircraft options undecided. By mid-2026, reporting pointed to a potential mixed fleet of around 140 aircraft combining F-35s, Saab Gripens, and GlobalEye early-warning planes. The dispute is also tied to sovereignty, industrial jobs, and dependence on U.S. suppliers.