Canada not sending fighter jets to Europe next year as Air Force rearms, regroupsOTTAWA — Canada will not send fighter jets to patrol NATO airspace for Russian incursions next year, the first time that Canadian CF-18s will be absent from the skies over Europe since 2017. Based out of Romania and working alongside other NATO aircraft, their mission was to monitor Russian air activity over the Baltics and Black Sea ⁠— and protect against any aggressive action by Moscow. “While the RCAF remains ready to deploy NATO committed assets when required, we are not planning to participate in NATO air policing in 2023 at this time,” he said in a statement. The Air Force has been working to add new weapons, sensors and defensive systems to the fleet. The Air Force has also been struggling with a shortage of pilots and technicians for years.

Source: CBC News December 14, 2022 19:36 UTC