It is my understanding that they can be maintained here it is just a bunch of BS about Canada not owning the parts until they are installed into the CF-35s. The C is added once they become part of the Canadian military.

After some small amount of flight hours, like less than a day, they have to be all fixed up as I am sure the Saab jets would need to be but the parts would not be made here and the Canadian Air Force would not own the parts until they were installed.

I have been in the hangers with all the CF 16’s at the base in Cold Lake, I have touched a 5 minute ready jet. I was a young little person this has got to be coming up on 30 years ago but I cannot imagine the worker bees who looked after those jets being happy that they would need to replace parts on the jets they would not even be sure they could use after say a training run.

I live in Saskatoon and know when the CF 16’s do there training here every so often. They have to fly into the airport, and I am guessing quickly fill up with jet fuel and take off again, I have never thought of the maintenance they would need to go under after those flights but it makes sense that the jet mechanics would need to keep their skills sharp as well. Sure they do stuff when they are away at whatever base when the shipped off but they also need to do the work here to.