The purpose of these jets is to drop bombs and kill people. Canada's current stock of fighter jets has spent the last few decades bombing Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Serbia, and Syria, prolonging violent conflict and contributing to massive humanitarian and refugee crises. These operations had an immediate deadly toll on human life (disproportionally children), and killed many more by destroying vital civilian infrastructure.
An upfront cost of $19 billion. At least $77 billion over the lifespan of the jets. The second most expensive procurement in Canadian history. That's money we need for healthcare, education, housing, clean water, and to address the true global threats we face, none of which can be bombed.
Jet fuel emissions are already enormous and accelerating the climate crisis. These new jets will lock us in to massive, deadly carbon emissions for the next 30 years, making any of Canada's climate targets impossible to achieve.
On May 19 2021 we launched a new parliamentary petition calling for Canada to cancel the fighter jet purchase, include the military’s carbon emissions in the government’s GHG emission reduction plan, and invest in a conversion plan to create thousands of jobs to help transition Canada away from fossil fuels and armed force. Sign here.
On February 25 2021 the No Fighter Jets Coalition launched our first report, detailing the true cost of the planned jet purchase.
Download the full report as a pdf here.
Across Canada on April 10 & 11 2021, public fasts, vigils, and demonstrations honoured those who have been killed by Canadian war planes and rejected Canada’s plans to buy 88 new bomber jets. Two people, Vanessa Lanteigne and Brendan Martin, fasted for 14 days. Learn more here.
Learn more about the April 10 & 11 fast here. Watch the webinar where the fast to stop the jets was first announced here.
Even former Deputy Minister of Defence Charles Nixon stated that Canada does not face any credible threats and “new Canadian fighters are not required to protect Canada’s populace or sovereignty.”
As the renowned writer George Monbiot put it "If ever there were a time to reassess the genuine threats to our security and separate them from the self-interested aims of the weapons industry, this is it."
