Bandwagoning for status: Canada's need of the F-35

Abstract

Why does Canada need a fifth generation combat aircraft? Four rationales put forth by Canadian decision-makers to justify this procurement are examined in this article: to support Canada's aerospace industry, to protect the country's sovereignty, to ensure the interoperability between Canadian and American air forces, and to contribute to international security. The article critiques the financial and industrial benefits arguments made by the government; it discusses the security threats that Canada is likely to face in the future and the ways in which the F-35 might address them; it assesses how the acquisition of the F-35 accords with Canada's traditional “defence against help” strategy; and finally, it stresses the importance that status-seeking and perceptions of reliability play into the choice of the F-35. Simply put, interoperability and international prestige seem necessary (but insufficient) conditions of Ottawa's perceived need to procure F-35s. The Canadian government seeks, by bandwagoning with the United States on this issue, to preserve its capacity to maintain (or enhance) its status as a reliable and prominent ally in Western-led air campaigns.