More grist for the F18 replacement mill..

[schnitzel2k3]

S.

[TopGun1234]

We should just buy some MIGs. The ruskies engineered a nice disposable fighter that can launch from a turf field. Why do we expose ourselves by sending billion dollar airplanes into combat only to be shot down.

[FICU]

I prefer the Flanker family over the Migs.

[B208]

That's insane.

There is no way one can predict the political climate 30-50 years down the road. Spending billions on F-35's today won't make any difference then as they will be 20 years obsolete by then. Why don't we wait until there is a clear "need" before we go off spending billions. The Crimea is one thing, as it was formerly in the USSR, and had a significant Russian population...…. but invading the territory of a G8 nation is pure political suicide.

If Canada is at risk of losing the North, ---the US will absolutely annex Canada--- out of securing its northern border before Russia or China ever makes a move.

The US sees North America as its own......resources and all. The only reason Canada is US free, is because there is no imminent threat to the Continent.

We can make up excuses all day about why Canada need the "newest shiny baubles" in the Aviation world. But the fact remains, Canada would never buy enough, nor man enough, nor keep enough flying to intimidate anyone in the first world.

If someone determines we do need a fighter presence in the Arctic....the first step should be building a few more airports north of the 60. A handful of used upgraded F-15's should be easy to come by.

DP.

You are a complete dipstick.

Name calling really shows your intellectual capacity.

I care. (For the sarcasm impaired, I actually don’t)

[frosti]

Saying Canada will never before threatened by an invasion of any merit is kinda shortsighted. What if a significant amount of oil is discovered in the arctic region of Canadian territory and in a few years time, when resources are perhaps getting scarcer, Russia decides it wants it.

Look at what happened in Crimea, a limited Russian invasion to get what they want and then the UN talks it out and Russia gets to stay where it is. I'm not sure that in a scenario like that the U.S would risk a full on conflict with Russia to stop them grabbing some Canadian territory.

If Canada's capable of putting up enough of a deterrent though to make Russia take longer in getting that territory then it's less likely they'd consider doing it in the first place.

That's insane.

There is no way one can predict the political climate 30-50 years down the road. Spending billions on F-35's today won't make any difference then as they will be 20 years obsolete by then. Why don't we wait until there is a clear "need" before we go off spending billions. The Crimea is one thing, as it was formerly in the USSR, and had a significant Russian population...…. but invading the territory of a G8 nation is pure political suicide.

If Canada is at risk of losing the North, ---the US will absolutely annex Canada--- out of securing its northern border before Russia or China ever makes a move.

The US sees North America as its own......resources and all. The only reason Canada is US free, is because there is no imminent threat to the Continent.

We can make up excuses all day about why Canada need the "newest shiny baubles" in the Aviation world. But the fact remains, Canada would never buy enough, nor man enough, nor keep enough flying to intimidate anyone in the first world.

If someone determines we do need a fighter presence in the Arctic....the first step should be building a few more airports north of the 60. A handful of used upgraded F-15's should be easy to come by.

DP.

You are a complete dipstick.

From the nonsense posted by him in the thread, I think you are being very generous with your assessment.

[confusedalot]

I've got zero qualifications in the combat world, so.....out of sheer curiousity, can someone out there actually say something rational about what would be a good replacement?

I dunno...F35, saab, mig, eurofighter or whatever new fangled replacement that was cooked up for it. Or for the rest of the available hardware.

Correct me if I am wrong, I hear that the F35 has a few issues, primarily in range? And maybe a few others?

From a stupid "bus" driver. You know, the kind you see at big airports.

[FenderManDan]

I was watching today’s review at the Paris airshow and Rafale did well. I don’t know if retooling to go french might work. There is another next gen fighter that is replacing Rafale and is supposedly easy upgrade path (source: Dassault brochureware).

[righthandman]

Correct me if I am wrong, I hear that the F35 has a few issues, primarily in range? And maybe a few others?

From a stupid "bus" driver. You know, the kind you see at big airports.

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/hidden-troubles-f35/

Even limited research turns up nothing but problems.

[frosti]

Correct me if I am wrong, I hear that the F35 has a few issues, primarily in range? And maybe a few others?

From a stupid "bus" driver. You know, the kind you see at big airports.

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/hidden-troubles-f35/

Even limited research turns up nothing but problems.

You mean you clicked on the most sensational negative headline, in an article written by idiots whos job it is to sell clickbait? All these "issues" have already been fixed or known and being resolved. http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pag ... olved.aspx This same crap goes on with almost every new airframe, doesn't matter what it is and with almost every new piece of military hardware.

[sportingrifle]

What would happen - and I mean actually happen - if we bought nothing?

And what could happen if we spent the money on something else? And what could that something else be?

Wars are ultimately won by economies. The industrial might of the US in WWII is what won the war in both Europe and the Pacific. The cold war was won because we basically bankrupt the Soviets in trying to keep up. Conversely, the state of the economy now wouldn't allow either to occur on that scale oven an extended number of years. So I was just wondering, instead of arguing over the Ferrari or the Lamborghini (because we all like fast toys), could we better the spend this staggering sum of money in a completely different direction. Cybersecurity and cyber warfare, economic dominance of strategic industries, or ????

[FICU]

The Saab is a 4th generation fighter while the F-35 is a 5th generation fighter.

But don't we have a 3rd gen military in this country?

[altiplano]

What would happen - and I mean actually happen - if we bought nothing?

And what could happen if we spent the money on something else? And what could that something else be?

Wars are ultimately won by economies. The industrial might of the US in WWII is what won the war in both Europe and the Pacific. The cold war was won because we basically bankrupt the Soviets in trying to keep up. Conversely, the state of the economy now wouldn't allow either to occur on that scale oven an extended number of years. So I was just wondering, instead of arguing over the Ferrari or the Lamborghini (because we all like fast toys), could we better the spend this staggering sum of money in a completely different direction. Cybersecurity and cyber warfare, economic dominance of strategic industries, or ????

Yeah those hackers and our economy are totally going to stop the Russians and Chinese when they try to seize the Pole and future Arctic shipping lanes.

There is no substitute for boots on the ground and gear.

We need ships and planes yesterday.

[Old fella]

With the latest from the European consortiums, the door is now wide open for Canada to purchase the F-35 which I believe will happen. When the contract is officially signed and the aircraft enter RCAF service nobody will care about the 2015 politicking that went on.