NORAD pact would change if Canada pulls back from F-35 order, warns U.S. ambassador

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBC

Posted: Jan 26, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 7 hours ago


U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to Canada is warning of consequences to the continental defence pact if Canada does not move forward with the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

"NORAD would have to be altered," U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told CBC News in an exclusive interview at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

He says the United States would likely need to purchase more of the advanced fighter aircraft for its own air force, and would fly them more often into Canadian airspace to address threats approaching the U.S. "If Canada is no longer going to provide that [capability], then we have to fill those gaps," said Hoekstra.

The North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) is a decades-old partnership between Canada and the United States which tracks inbound threats and scrambles armed jets to intercept where appropriate.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/norad-canada-us-f35-9.7059800

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More extortion.

[Tripper11]

1. FUCK THAT!

another bullshit blackmailing!

[republianmushroom]

2. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, Canada is not the problem.

That orange pile of dog do do that occupies the White House is. IMO

[Bev54]

8. He is a problem for Canadians, we truly truly dislike that man.

So any message coming from him is not going to be received well, he is so effing condescending

[mdbl]

14. Here's one Canadian's opinion

One of many videos on his channel mentioning Hoekstra.

[JoseBalow]

3. Another drumpf shakedown

It's all that asshole knows how to do, threaten and extort.

[DFW]

4. That's a $7 billion order for Lockheed Martin

If it gets canceled, or even put on ice for a while due to Trump's antagonizing of Canada, I know a few political contributions that stand a good chance of being withheld or diverted this election cycle.

[Buddyzbuddy]

5. Sounds like a we problem not a they problem.

You're going to tell a sovereign Country too bad we're going to invade your airspace because you didn't payoff the extortion? Canada can buy from whomever they damn well please and defend themselves anyway they choose. Shove your threats up your arse, ambassador.

[Justice matters.]

24. peaceof$hit wants Canadians to believe a country that has about...

ten thousand nukes (the US), secret military satellites in orbit which monitor all airspace traffic over the continent, and a trillion-a-year war-machine budget cannot defend NATO countries (Article 5 oblige), even one of them across the longest border between two countries on Earth.

These Fascist a-holes really think we're all ignorant f*cks like them?

[Biglinda 52]

6. Hold Fast Canada!!

[Bev54]

7. That blowhard can go F himself. I have not met one Canadian who has a positive thought about him.

[Bev54]

9. I don't know how tight the original contract for the 16 planes is, thanks to our stupid

conservative government who made the contract with US. The planes are way behind schedule and costs have skyrocketed, so I am hopeful there is an out clause but knowing the conservatives they made some real shitty contracts.

If we have to take the 16 fine, use them for NORAD but no more, we buy the Gripens which will be built in Canada, putting Canadians to work and maintenance will be in Canada as well we will have control of the software.

We are not inclined to have US planes that only fly 50% of the time when parts and maintenance is controlled by US as well as the software. They are making threats to us like the mob bosses they envision themselves to be. Just ask Denmark right now how they feel after buying them and then having US threaten them.

[fujiyamasan]

10. Call the bluff

This has gone far enough.

NORAD and NATO are dead. Canada and the E.U. should realize that now.

[BidenRocks]

12. How much of the US is really in the North Atlantic?

They will be better without us due to their geography.
Tactics will change due to increased mobility and decentralization of assets.
Every highway is a runway. Drone swarms will close major air bases.
We lost this sale because they don't trust chump not to extort them for the latest upgrades or worse, sell a half equipped aircraft. Who knows if there isn't a 'kill switch'!
Elbows Up!

[fujiyamasan]

13. "Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets."

We thought rebuilding trust after Bush was hard. Anything good built up after WWII has been dismantled in less than a year.

If they’re smart other countries would hold this country at an arm’s length going forward.

[denny0851]

11. wrong headline

should be "US promises to fly military planes over Canada"

[COL Mustard]

15. Hey Canada...

Nice country you have there. It'd be a shame if something happened to it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. F-35 beat Gripen fighter jet 'by a mile' in 2021 Defence Department competition

Nov 29, 2025: F-35 beat Gripen fighter jet 'by a mile' in 2021 Defence Department competition

[popsdenver]

17. LOL

Boeing is already suffering big time......seems Canada manufacturers most of the different Aluminums used in Aircraft.
(Civilian AND Military aircraft aluminum) and is looking at a humongous Tariffs on Canada, thanks to Trump, to import it into the U.S.....

Is the company that manufactures the F-35 going to suffer with the same Aluminum problem as Boeing??????

And all of the other members of the Military Industrial Complex that use Aluminum.

[Grins]

18. The cost per F35 to the U.S. is offset by foreign military sales.

Foreign militaries don’t buy them, the cost per F35’s for the U.S. goes UP!!

[Figarosmom]

19. This administration doesn't know how yo make deals

All they know is blackmail.

So much for the art of the deal.

[Jarqui]

20. Why would a country spend $19 billion on jets from a guy who posts this?

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925888562624963

That guy could put software in those jets that shuts the jet down if he decides to attack or "annex"
How can Canada trust Trump after such a post and him calling Canadian PMs governors of his 51st state that he wants to annex and has suggested he is damaging trade with Canada to hurt their economy to make it easier to take Canada over?
Why should Trump care as he's been so derogatory of the 100+ years of Canada's efforts fighting side by side with America.

Canada is looking at buying French Rafale fighter jets instead.
It is a $19 billion dollar investment that is less likely to be sabotaged by a guy behaving like Hitler.

Canada is also looking at Finnish tanks and ice breakers for similar reasons.
What choice do they have?
Their closest ally has turned on them without any provocation.

[Justice matters.]

25. The moron's attacks are provocations based on LIES for

personal political and financial gains, no matter who gets hurt or killed.

Talk about a dishonest "ally" yeah... shart of the deal idiot baby (apologies to real babies).

[WestMichRad]

21. An attempt at bullying

Plain as day.

[amcgrath]

22. whatever

[flashman13]

23. This clearly shows just how stupid these people are. The Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) is

a system of radars strung along the farthest northerly portions of Canada. A strategic bomber or ballistic missile attack from Russia will come over the arctic. The DEW line allows NORAD to see it coming at the earliest possible moment. Piss off the Canadians and they can lock the U.S. off from that system. Satellites can not entirely replace that radar capability. It seems like Trump's mission is to make America less safe at every turn. Extortion comes ahead of safety.

[Justice matters.]

26. Neither Russia nor China will attack the continent.

They could attack (they sometimes do) cyber networks, infrastructure, power grids, and that's about it.

Attack a country that has about ten thousand nuclear warheads, a trillion-a-year war-machine budget, and secret weapons...

They want to commit national suicide?

No.

[artemisia1]

27. Canada would be out of their mind to buy fighter jets from a former ally that has threatened them with invasion. F-35's

have to check in periodically with the U.S. electronically and can be remotely turned off.

[Dave Bowman]

28. Europe makes great fighter jets.