The CF-18 can track targets from great distances, at night and in low visibility. Canada is to send fighter jets to help enforce the UN-backed no-fly zone over Libya, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said.
Six CF-18 war planes are expected to be deployed from a base in Quebec.
The planes will be supported by as many as 200 Canadian military personnel, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The move comes after the UN Security Council on Thursday backed a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians.
The Libyan government announced an immediate ceasefire on Friday, only hours after Col Muammar Gaddafi had insisted the Security Council had "no mandate" to implement the no-fly zone.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Libyan government would need to demonstrate it was implementing a ceasefire.
Stephen Harper Canadian prime minister“The Libyan people have shown by their sacrifices that they believe in [freedom]”
"We are going to be not responsive or impressed by words, we would have to see actions on the ground and that is not yet at all clear," she said.
The no-fly zone approves "all necessary measures" short of an invasion "to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas" from air attacks from forces loyal to embattled Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
In New York, the 15-member body voted 10-0 in favour, with five abstentions.
Canada's involvement in the no-fly zone would make it one of a number of nations thought to be set to join the engagement, including the US, Britain, France, and several Arab states.
The Canadian jets would take at least 24 hours to arrive at their destination, which has yet to be determined, Canadian media reported.
Mr Harper said the situation in Libya "remains intolerable" and that "urgent action" must be taken to support the UN resolution.
"One either believes in freedom or one just says one believes in freedom," he said.
"The Libyan people have shown by their sacrifices that they believe in it. Assisting them is a moral obligation upon those of us who profess this great ideal," he said.
The prime minister, who leads a minority government, said he had spoken to opposition leaders to inform them of the military deployment.
Parliament would be consulted on the matter next week and its approval would be sought if the troops are to be deployed in the region longer than three months, Mr Harper said.
"My position is, if you're going to put troops into combat, into a war situation, I do think for the sake of legitimacy - the government does require the support of Parliament," he said.
The Canadian defence ministry is expected to make a formal announcement later on Friday.
The CF-18 aircraft's radar can track targets from great distances, at night and in low visibility, according to the Canadian air force.
Canadian pilots flew the jets in the 1991 Gulf War.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-12781682
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