US greenlights Canadian purchase of HIMARS, undercutting 'Canada First' claims

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the US State Department had given the Canadian government clearance to purchase 26 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, for $2.4 billion. 

While the deal requires Congressional approval among US lawmakers, and the Canadian government has yet to negotiate directly with the manufacturers, the move paves the way for a smooth purchase of US defence equipment by Canadian officials.

Canada First?

During the 2025 federal election campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney ran on a platform of playing tough with Donald Trump and the US government, and the need for Canada to lessen its economic and military ties with the Americans.  

In his first speech as Liberal leader, Carney used a very aggressive tone to describe the actions of the US government, not seen in decades by a Canadian Prime Minister. “The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Carney said back in March. “If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.” Nearly seven months later, Canada seems on pace to buy more US defence equipment. 

Canada’s military given US boost

This deal for HIMARS, however, is not the most expensive in the Canadian defence books. In 2023, Canada agreed to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets from the US for $19 billion, even after then-Prime Minister Trudeau pledged earlier in his tenure not to purchase the jets. The F35 jets will now cost $27.7 billion, according to a 2025 audit. Canada also pledged to buy 16 P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Aircraft from the US that same year, totalling $8 billion. 

Overall, Carney's rhetoric and actions do not seem to line up, and with 64 percent of Canadians back in April saying that they support an immediate stop to buying military equipment from the US, one has to wonder how the government will circle this square peg.