Khaberni - If Canada refuses to purchase American F-35 fighter jets, Washington will reconsider the terms of its participation in the leadership of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and frequent interventions in its airspace.
The American ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, stated in an interview with "CBC News": "NORAD will change if Ottawa refuses to purchase F-35 aircraft".
The ambassador indicated that in such a case, the United States would have to buy more modern fighter jets for the American Air Force and send them frequently to Canadian airspace "to face threats approaching the United States".
He added: "If Canada is no longer able to provide this capability, we will have to fill these gaps".
The ambassador disagreed with the idea that the United States poses a threat to Canada, following the broadcaster's note that many Canadians view Washington in this way due to President Donald Trump's remarks about "the fifty-first state".
The ambassador said: "That's crazy. We pose no threat".
In the spring, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed his then Defense Minister Bill Blair to review the deal of purchasing American F-35 fighter jets to determine if Ottawa had other options, given the changing environment amid U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports.
In October last year, "CBC News" quoted Stephen Four, the spokesperson for Canada's Minister of State for Defense Procurement, stating that Canada intends to buy 16 out of 88 F-35 fighter jets from the United States under a contract between the two countries, with a study on the purchase of the remaining aircraft.
