The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of air strike weapons to Canada worth almost US$3 billion.
“The proposed sale will improve Canada’s credible defence capability to deter aggression in the region, ensure interoperability with U.S. forces, and strengthen Canada’s ability to contribute to shared continental defence,” the State Department said in a press release.
The types of bombs included in the sale can be carried by fighter jets, like Canada’s CF-18s or the new U.S.-made F-35s, to carry out precision air strikes.
While Canada begins taking deliveries of the F-35 fighters in 2026, the country is considering how big an order it wants, considering the increasingly unpredictable U.S. government under President Donald Trump.
Canadian Global Affairs Institute president David Perry and other military experts said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s increase in military funding means the air force will have more to practice with. Some of the sales include practice bombs.
The weapons will be supplied by The Boeing Company and RTC Corporation.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the military capability of a NATO Ally that is an important force for ensuring political stability and economic progress and is a contributor to military, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations around the world,” the State Department said.
