Canada has no way to refuel new jets in air 
Military must pay for modifications or buy new fleet of tankers
The Canadian military does not have the ability to conduct aerial refuelling of the F-35 fighter jet it wants to purchase and is now looking at ways to get around that problem.
Options range from paying for modifications to the stealth jets to purchasing a new fleet of tanker aircraft that can gas up the high-tech fighters in mid-air. That option could cost several hundred million dollars, depending on how many new tankers are needed.
In addition, because the F-35 would not be able to safely land on runways in Canada's north because those are too short for the fighter, the Defence Department is looking at having manufacturer Lockheed Martin install a "drag" chute on the plane. That parachute would deploy when the aircraft lands, slowing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter down. But some pilots have said that high winds affecting such runways could make using a drag chute tricky or even dangerous.........
The government spent $126 million on modifying some of its current fleet of Polaris transport aircraft to handle mid-air-refuelling of CF-18 fighters. The first of the two modified planes was declared operational in 2009. But the system on the Polaris cannot refuel the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter model the Harper government has said it will purchase.
The Defence Department listed air-to-air refuelling as a mandatory capability for any new fighter aircraft Canada purchases, prompting some aerospace industry executives to privately question why this critical feature was ignored for the F-35 purchase. The refuelling is needed if the jets are going to cover long distances. The Defence Department stated in an e-mail that it "is studying options for F-35 air-to-air refuelling capability. The analysis is at an early stage and we will inform Canadians as soon as details become available."
But in an interview with the Citizen last summer, Tom Burbage, a senior Lockheed Martin official said he didn't think the refuelling issue would be a problem. He said the F-35 aircraft design could handle different types of refuelling systems, including those used by the Canadian Forces aerial tankers. Canada wants to purchase the same type of F-35 being ordered by the U.S. air force. However, the F-35 being built for the U.S. navy carries the equipment needed to be refuelled by tankers such as the ones operated by the Canadian Forces. "The airplane design can accommodate both refuelling systems," explained Burbage. "Canada has asked us to look at putting the navy refuelling system in the airplane and the air force refuelling system is already in it."
It is unclear what the cost of installing such a system would be. But sources say there are concerns that option could run into problems.
Another option to be considered would be purchasing new refuelling tankers. Military officers argue that by 2020 the Polaris aircraft might need to be replaced any ways.............