The finalists, Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter and Saab's Gripen, surprised many as American aerospace giant Boeing's Super Hornet was left out.
In the search to replace the CF-18 Hornet from American manufacturer McDonnell Douglas currently used by the Canadian military, the government agency reportedly informed Boeing last week their $19 billion contract proposal did not meet their requirements.
The statement didn't give an official reason for what was missing from Boeing's offer, but the close relationship between Canada and the U.S. led many to believe that the two American jets, the F-35 and Boeing's Super Hornet, would be the only real competition. Airbus and Dassault, headquartered in the Netherlands and France, respectively, both backed out of the competition before it even began, citing the excessive requirements to ensure their aircraft could meet Canada's stated intelligence-sharing requirements which they believed favored American manufacturers.
Following the decision, Boeing released a statement expressing it was"disappointed and deeply concerned" about why their aircraft was not chosen as a finalist.The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, a twin-engine, supersonic, all weather multi-role fighter takes part in a flying display at the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, on July 12, 2016.