F-35s could start Artic arms race

The Mark:

One analyst says Canada’s decision to buy a fleet of new jet fighters could cause Russia to increase its military capacity in the Far North.

Arctic sovereignty expert Michael Byers said that the Canadian government’s plan to buy 65 state-of-the-art F-35 jet fighters will cause “angst in Russia” and increase tensions between the two countries. The Conservatives say the fifth generation jets are needed to protect Canada’s Arctic territory, but Byers said the planes are unnecessary and that the government should invest in search and rescue aircraft instead. The $16-billion contract to purchase the planes has become a hot topic on Parliament Hill this week, after Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said he will cancel the deal if he’s elected because the contract was not put through a proper bidding process.