Canada’s armed forces will take part in a ceremony in Texas on Monday to celebrate the imminent arrival of its first F-35 – as Ottawa has yet to announce how many of the US-made fighter jets it will ultimately buy.

The event comes as the future of the CF-18 replacement program is being considered due to ongoing trade and political disputes between Canada and the United States.

In his latest salvo, US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw certification and impose tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft. He also recently threatened 100 percent tariffs on all Canadian imports if Ottawa “does a deal with China.”

Monday’s ceremony will highlight the fact that Canada’s first F-35 is in the final stages of assembly at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth production line.

In black pencil, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, will sign the fuselage bulkhead that will be installed on Canada’s first F-35.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, the event will serve to “mark another production milestone” for the aircraft, which will be delivered to the RCAF later this year.

Lockheed Martin organizes these ceremonies for each allied country that orders the F-35.

Canada has a contract to buy 16 F-35s, but the government refuses to say what it will do with the remaining order of 72 fighters.

Although the review was due to be completed last year, Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to make a decision on the future of the $27 billion program.

Cutting the F-35 order would send a strong foreign policy message to the United States.

The remaining jets could be replaced by Saab’s Gripen fighters. Both the Swedish airline and its government did embarked on a public relations campaign get a contract.

Defense expert Philippe Lagassé says the fighter jet issue illustrates the magnitude of the decisions Canada faces after Carney’s big speech in Switzerland.

“After the speech in Davos, I expect a change in the defense policy. Otherwise, I wonder if the prime minister really believes in what he is saying or if it is more a way to put pressure on the United States,” he said.

The secretary of state in charge of defense acquisition, Stephen Fuhr, said the review of the F-35 was initiated after Trump’s inauguration a year ago.

“We live in a different world,” he said. “What’s being considered is what the future looks like, and again, we haven’t made a decision.”

The Canadian Armed Forces have already begun training their F-35 pilots and preparing the infrastructure for the arrival of the 16 aircraft. These aircraft will be fully operational by the early 2030s.

The Conservatives have called on Ottawa to buy all 88 F-35s, with MP Jeff Kibble saying it’s “the only aircraft capable of doing the operations we need.”

“Our Air Force is looking for this plane and our allies are looking for this plane. What else does the Prime Minister need to see?” he asked in the House of Commons last week.

dependence on US defense

One of the main criticisms of the F-35 purchase is that it reinforces Canada’s dependence on the United States, even as the alliance between the two countries is eroding.

Lockheed Martin firmly denies allegations that the F-35 has a “kill switch” that would allow the Americans to remotely disable the aircraft.

Several experts, however, argue that the United States could control F-35 software updates or limit access to spare parts, undermining Canada’s control over its own fighter fleet.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says Canada is right to take the time to evaluate all its options, especially ahead of the renegotiation of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement.

He added that Canada must take into account the fact that Trump is “volatile, unpredictable and shows little loyalty.”

“I cannot, in good conscience, say that we should continue with the F-35 while the American president is making threatening comments about the Canadian and Quebec economy or the security of Canada and Quebec,” Blanchet said.

He said that regardless of Canada’s decision, maintenance of Canadian fighter jets should continue at L3Harris’ facilities in Mirabel, Que.

In a recent interview with CBC News, US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra played down the tensions and urged the Carney government to stick with the F-35.

Hoekstra said he believes the Gripen is “inferior” to the F-35 and would not be as interoperable with other elements of US defense systems.

WATCH | Which fighter should Canada choose?

Weighing Canada’s Fighter Options: F-35 vs. Gripen

As the future of Canada’s fighter jet fleet is being questioned, CBC’s Murray Brewster breaks down the differences between the US F-35 and Sweden’s Gripen.

“If Canada is no longer going to provide that (capability), then we have to fill those gaps,” he said.

Lagassé said the debate highlights Canada’s continued reliance on American-made military equipment, whether it’s aircraft, helicopters, combat systems or communications and GPS devices.

The selection of the Gripen would illustrate a shift towards European military procurement.

But regardless of whether Canada buys 88 F-35s, he said, it will take decades for Canada to gain real military independence from the US. In this context, how Canada chooses to spend billions in additional military spending the coming years will be crucial.

“We’re rebuilding Canadian forces that are still almost fully integrated with American forces,” he said.

“It’s easy to make a speech. It’s another thing to change policy.”