National

Peter MacKay Says He Regrets Failure To Buy New Fighter Planes

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Jun, 2016 11:43 AM

OTTAWA — Former Conservative defence minister Peter MacKay says he regrets his government didn't move ahead to replace Canada's aging fighter jets.

MacKay says new planes are badly needed and the F-35 is the right choice.

The Tories had pegged the F-35s as the replacement for the existing CF-18s, but the process bogged down over costs and technical concerns.

The Liberals said they wouldn't buy those planes and instead promised to hold an open competition to find a new jet.

But in order to fill what they say are capability gaps in the Royal Canadian Air Force, they may sole-source a different aircraft.

MacKay says the Lockheed-Martin F-35 still beats other planes on the market when it comes to meeting Canada's needs.

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