Canadian military refused to release F-35 photo and records, court docs show

The Department of National Defence refused to release a photograph of RCAF commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet signing a fuselage component at Lockheed Martin's Texas facility in February, instead providing only a grainy photocopy. When the Ottawa Citizen filed an Access to Information request for the original image in April, DND declined and subsequently refused to release internal records discussing the decision to suppress it.

The secrecy reflects tension within government over military officials appearing to publicly advocate for the F-35 purchase while Prime Minister Mark Carney conducts a review of whether to buy the remaining 72 jets beyond Canada's current 16-aircraft commitment. The full F-35 fleet purchase would cost taxpayers around $27 billion, with an additional $5.5 billion needed for full operational capability, according to an Auditor General report.

A DND source told the Citizen the military was "not keen on revealing records showing behind-the-scenes advocacy for F-35." Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state for defence procurement, said in a statement: "I don't think some of these things are necessarily helpful. It's in a review. We shouldn't be talking about it. And the government will make a decision when they feel it's time to make a decision."

Documents show summer communications where RCAF Lt. Gen. Iain Huddleston, deputy commander at NORAD, responded to a Lockheed Martin official on LinkedIn who suggested abandoning plans to build Swedish Gripen jets in Canada and instead purchasing F-35s. Huddleston indicated he found that comment "insightful." The Citizen requested comment from Huddleston in July; Huddleston has yet to respond. Shannon Clark Larkin, the DND's access-to-information executive director, did not respond to requests for comment.