The Department of National Defence recently received quiet approval to spend $7 billion on 16 F-35 fighter jets and related gear.
Two defence sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public, said a funding request sent to the Treasury Board got the green light earlier this month.
The Canadian Press also viewed a document summarizing this request to Treasury Board, which is the department that controls the federal purse strings, and independently verified its accuracy.