After over two decades of Canada being a Tier 2 partner of the Joint Strike Fighter Program (JSF), the Royal Canadian Air Force finds itself on the cusp of acquiring the Lockheed Martin produced 5th-generation fighter. In the selection saga, the F-35 went from a single choice to a competition format with interim solutions of Hornet and Super Hornet in the mix, over to a final stand-off against the Saab Gripen. With Canada having finalized the purchase of the F-35, Senior Fellow Richard Shimooka joins Christoph Bergs of Military Aviation History in a special feature dissecting the full two-decade long process to purchase the new generation jet fighter.
