Event Brief
Aug 20, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET
CF-104 Starfighter built for nuclear strike never fired
By The BriefBrief
The Canadair CF-104 Starfighter was selected for Canadian manufacture in 1959 and first flew in 1961. The aircraft spent about a decade on nuclear alert in Germany, crashed roughly 110 times in Canadian service, and was retired without ever firing a shot in combat.
WHO: Canadair of Cartierville, Quebec; Royal Canadian Air Force
WHAT: Canada’s CF-104 Starfighter program produced an aircraft that remained on nuclear alert for about a decade, suffered about 110 crashes, and was retired without combat use.
WHEN: May 26, 1961
WHERE: Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
WHY: Ottawa needed a new NATO nuclear-strike aircraft after canceling the Avro Arrow and converting its European fighter force to nuclear strike capability.
How this brief is built: The BriefBrief correlates multiple sources into one evolving event brief, updated as new facts emerge.
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