Canada plans to invest $7.3 billion to upgrade its fighter jet bases and Far North landing strips to accommodate the air force’s new F-35s, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Friday at the conclusion of a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the announcement represents the accelerated investment in continental defence that Washington had been calling for before the two leaders met in Ottawa this week.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced that the first new Over the Horizon Radar (OTHR) station on Canadian soil — intended to keep track of low-flying threats such as cruise missiles — will be located