Super Hornets likely cheaper than F-35s, Morneau told
OTTAWA • Federal officials tried to cut through the fog of war last year when they told Finance Minister Bill Morneau that it would probably be cheaper to replace Canada’s aging Air Force fleet with Super Hornet fighter jets rather than F-35s.
The cost of each warplane has been a matter of sharp debate for years as successive Canadian governments have wrestled with the politically thorny question of how best to usher the force into the 21st century.
That uncertainty was evident in a secret briefing note that was presented to Morneau in August and obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act. But using publicly available information, officials were able to provide “rough estimates” of the cost of each of the different warplanes that were in the running to replace the CF-18s.
The Super Hornet came out on top: officials pegged the average cost of each jet at between $88 million and $110 million, depending on the source of information and which of the various options were included.
That compared to between $110 million and $144 million for an F-35, while two European fighters that are also in the running were even more expensive.
Officials cautioned that the actual price to Canada would depend on a number of factors, such as the exchange rate, what Canadian-specific modifications were included, and the number of aircraft purchased.
They also said they were unable to determine the full cost not only of buying, but also operating and maintaining each type of jet.