Partners get a discount when purchasing the stealth fighter, and have access to billions of dollars in contracts associated with producing the plane. Canada has so far forked over more than $311 million to develop the F-35 — without any guarantee it will actually buy the multibillion-dollar stealth fighter. The contribution keeps Canada at the table as one of the nine partners in the project for the next year. The government says Canadian companies have secured US$812 million in contracts since Canada's first F-35 payment in 1997. But some worry the consultations are more about giving the Liberals political cover to buy a plane other than the F-35 without holding a competition.

Source: CBC News July 26, 2016 22:18 UTC