Price per unit depends on how many you buy.
USN buys a lot, therefore the average cost per unit is significantly less than what Canada is paying.
The jets to Canada are not just like the USN jets. There are FMS security deletions that have to be paid for (cost big bucks to change software codes on a very small number of jets), and the jets also have specific country codes in the software.
The writer of this piece has no idea about FMS and export restrictions/technology requirements.
Writer in an idiot.
Oh, and Canada has to pay for non-recurring research and development costs for “their” jets.
I agree with your post. However, doesn’t the same argument hold for the F-35 as well? In that the USAF/USN will buy very many of them, meaning that foreign buyers (with their considerably lower acquisitions) will pay significantly more than the US? Or that FMS security deletions and country codes over the smaller purchase orders from foreign buyers will add more costs? And consequently, while the author may be wrong about a number of things, one premise he nails 100% is where he states that foreign buyers of the F-35 should be prepared for a significantly different price from the F-35 and shouldn’t rely on whatever the US will be paying (at all).