US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra describes the current defence relationship between the two countries as “awesome,” but stressed military interventions by the US military into Canadian airspace would increase if Canada does not increase its purchase of Lockheed Martin F-35s beyond the 16 currently on order.
The North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) is a decades-old partnership between Canada and the US which tracks inbound threats and scrambles armed jets to intercept where appropriate.
“If Canada is no longer going to provide that [capability], then we have to fill those gaps,” Pete Hoekstra told the CBC.
Lockheed Martin is an American defence and aerospace manufacturer. Canada is also considering Gripen fighter from Swedish manufacturer Saab AB.
If the Canadian government were to order the Swedish-built Gripen fighter jet, Hoekstra told CBC the arrangement with NORAD would still have to be rethought.
Vincent Rigby, a former top Canadian national security official described Hoekstra’s remarks as “clearly a political pressure tactic to force the Canadian government’s hand.”
“This is another off-the-cuff remark by the ambassador,” Rigby said. “It can’t be ignored but neither should it be taken as gospel truth from either the administration or the Pentagon.”
Source:
David Common, CBC: NORAD pact would change if Canada pulls back from F-35 order, warns US ambassador https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/norad-canada-us-f35-9.7059800