The National Post reports in its Wednesday edition that Washington is growing impatient with Ottawa's delays on its F-35 purchase. The Post's Tracy Moran writes that while U.S. officials praised Canada's 2022 selection of Lockheed Martin's stealth fighter and the plan to buy 88 jets, political debate has led to only 30 being contracted so far. For years, Washington has urged Canada to up defence spending, and progress has been made with Prime Minister Mark Carney's claim that Ottawa aims to meet the 2-per-cent GDP target. The U.S. is now signaling a desire for Canada to remain closely aligned on defence, highlighting concerns beyond just the F-35 and looking ahead to future issues. Canada's increased defence budget spending remains uncertain as Mr. Carney aims to reduce reliance on the U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said recently: "The F-35 is not an American plane. The F-35 is what? It is an international consortium building the most advanced fighter jet in the world." Adding pressure for defence co-operation, he hinted that the U.S. could work well with Canada on the sixth-generation fighters. "You may get an invitation to join the U.S. as part of a consortium to do the sixth gen on fighter planes," he said.