Single-engine F-35 jet risky choice for Canada’s air force, report warns

A new report is raising fresh concerns about the Lockheed Martin F-35 — the front-runner in the race to become Canada’s next fighter jet — warning that its single engine poses unacceptable risks for the pilots should it fail over the ocean or the Arctic.

Academic Michael Byers says the risk of losing an engine during a flight over Canada’s remote regions — dooming the jet and potentially its pilot too — is too great a risk for Canada’s air force when twin-engine options are on the table.

“The Harper government has sidestepped the key question of whether a modern single-engine jet is as safe as a modern twin-engine jet, especially in the Arctic and over Canada’s extensive maritime zones,” Byers wrote in a report released Monday morning.

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