The Canadian government is quietly planning to purchase 88 new warplanes, for a sticker price of $19 billion and a total cost of at least $77 billion.
This new generation of bomber jets will be designed to do the same thing the last batch did – carry bombs and missiles that kill civilians (disproportionately children), destroy critical infrastructure that leaves millions without safe drinking water or electricity, and to run environmentally costly training drills. This time they’ll have the added–and terrifying–capacity to carry nuclear weapons.
Canada’s current stock of fighter jets have spent the past few decades bombing Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria, prolonging violent conflict and contributing to massive humanitarian and refugee crises. These operations had a deadly toll on human life and have nothing to do with ensuring security for Canada.
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.”
Canada does not need to buy fighter jets, and 2021 is our critical opportunity to stop this purchase before it happens. The procurement competition officially started July 2020, and we don’t have much time before the contract will be signed.
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.”
We have to throw everything we have at this: research, mobilization, and connection-building. Join the #NoNewFighterJets campaign! Get in touch with us here.