Canada's new government will dump the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the troubled and expensive stealth jets Australia has committed $24 billion to buy. The victorious Liberals leader Justin Trudeau has also pledged to put a stop to his country's role in bombing Islamic State targets in strife-torn Syria, where the Australian air force recently commenced operations, as well as Iraq.
Prime minister-elect Justin Trudeau stands on stage at Liberal Party headquarters in Montreal after his party's sweeping election victory.
Photo: Canadian Press
Mr Trudeau vowed in September during the election campaign to open a fresh competition to replace Canada's ageing fighter jets, rather than continuing with the F-35 program.
"There are many other fighters at much lower price points that we can use that have been proven, that we will actually be able to deliver in a timely way," he said at the time.
Australia and Canada had joined with the US in a nine-nation deal to build what has been dubbed the world's most expensive weapon.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter in a 2011 image.
Photo: Bloomberg
Mr Abbott last year committed Australia to buy an extra 58 F-35 fighters - making a fleet of 72 - at a cost of around US$98 million ($134.8 million) for each plane.
But it remains unclear whether the promise to withdraw Canada from the project will add to the cost of the fighters for the remaining partners.
Mr Harper had been an enthusiastic supporter of the F-35, pledging to buy 65 of the jets in 2010, only to later put the purchase on hold amid doubts over cost overruns and technical difficulties.
The development of the F-35 has been dogged by controversy and claims it will not measure up against the latest Russian and Chinese fighter jets, although officials insist the plane is state-of-the-art.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/canadas...s-australia-wants-to-buy-20151020-gke0u7.html