An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet at the Florennes military airbase, in southern Belgium. Canada is rethinking its order of 88 F-35s and considering cutting its purchase plans to accommodate a second fleet of fighters, such as Sweden’s Saab Gripen.

A former air force commander says Ottawa should buy its full order of 88 U.S.-made F-35s to fill an imminent gap in fighter capacity but switch to European warplanes for future purchases to provide more independence from the United States.

Retired lieutenant-general Yvan Blondin, who was commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2012 until 2015, said the possibility exists now that the United States might disagree with how Canada chooses to utilize its fighter fleet outside of North America.

He said it’s not out of the bounds of possibili

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