"Canada doesn't talk about the Avro Arrow because it's nostalgic. It talks about the Arrow because it's unfinished business. Every time Ottawa finds itself boxed in on defence procurement, every time the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tries to remind Canada who it thinks really owns North American air power, the Arrow reappears. It doesn't show up as an engineering debate or a budget line. It shows up as a question of sovereignty."
"Canada is reviewing whether to proceed with the full purchase of eighty-eight F-35s, having paid for only the first sixteen. Alternatives are being openly discussed. Saab's Gripen is back in the conversation. France's Rafale lurks on the margins. And hovering above all of it is an unmistakable warning from Washington: if Canada walks away from the F-35, the United States will "fill the gaps," even if that means American fighters flying more often in Canadian airspace and changes to NORAD itself."
The Avro Arrow functions as a symbol of unfinished sovereignty in Canadian air defence policy rather than mere nostalgia. Repeated procurement challenges and NORAD pressure revive questions about who decides what flies, who maintains and upgrades aircraft, and who has final authority when politics intervene. Canada is reconsidering whether to buy eighty-eight F-35s after paying for sixteen, with alternatives such as Saab's Gripen and France's Rafale discussed. Washington has warned it will "fill the gaps" if Canada withdraws, including increased U.S. fighter presence in Canadian airspace and potential changes to NORAD. Cold War geography made Canada the forward line against Soviet bombers.
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