Mission Statement


With a federal election coming later this year, Canada's new fighter replacement will almost certainly be making headlines again.  That same election could finally bring a little bit of closure, depending on the outcome.  2015 could seal the fate of Canada's next fighter.

People looking for insight on Canada's fighter selection may find themselves here.  It is for them that I write this post.  I will also edit the "PAGES" section to bring them more up-to-date.  

For those of you who just stumbled onto Best Fighter for Canada ( or BF4C, if you like), here is a quick rundown of what this blog is about:

It has been almost three years now since I started blogging about Canada's CF-18 replacement.  Furious over the skyrocketing costs and dubious performance of the F-35, I started advocating for something different.

Thankfully, the internet age means that anyone has access to a soapbox to stand on.  Starting up a blog site and a Facebook page required little effort on my part.  The hard part was providing worthwhile content.  What good was the soapbox...  If no one cares what you are talking about?

I did not expect much.  I was just another airplane nerd with internet access and an opinion.

Honestly, I had no idea what the next three years would bring.

Instead of proceeding with the F-35 purchase, the Federal Government wisely decided to take a step back and reevaluate things.  In the meantime, the JSF program began to gather critics not just in Canada, but everywhere.  High profile groundings and engine fires have done little to restore faith in the fighter jet.  There has been the occasional success story, but many are questioning if the F-35 is simply "too big to fail" at this point.

Certainly, the F-35 program has provided this blogger with content.

People can get content anywhere, however.  For those of you who just want the latest fighter jet news, I suggest you peruse websites like combataircraft.com, defense-aerospace.com, Jane's, or any of the countless other news sources.  These will give you much more information in a much more timely manner than I ever could.

So what does "Best Fighter for Canada" have to offer?

Content:

I hope to follow Canada's CF-18 replacement to the bitter end, and I will continue to post here on a semi-regular basis. Some posts will be "breaking news" type reports, while others will be editorials and other subjective type reporting.

Context:

Information is useless without context.  While a story may seem sensational and fascinating, what really matters is how that story came to be and how it effects the world.  

Commentary:

Blogs are, by definition, an avenue for self-expression.  My opinion may not be the most learned or the most influential, but I will let you know where I stand all the same.  (I will try to avoid becoming an example of the Dunning-Kruger effect).

Community:

I am pleased to say that the comment section is lively and (for the most part) civil.  All are welcome to post, just try and follow the guidelines outlined here:  bestfighter4canada.blogspot.ca/p/intruduction.html.  I do try to read every post, but please understand if I miss something.  

There is also the Facebook group found here:  www.facebook.com/groups/bestfighter4canada/.  It is a closed group, but anyone is welcome to join (except spambots).


Once again, for those who are joining us:  Welcome!

To those readers and commenters who have participated in the past:  Thank you.  This blog would not be what it is without you.  Please keep coming back, this year is GOING TO BE BIG.

Thanks again,

-Doug

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE REAL REASON THE GRIPEN LOST...

Image
  For those of you wondering how Saab lost the FFCP competition, new information has come to light... According inside sources, the initial scoring of the two fighters was incredibly close.  The F-35 did indeed win the "Capability" category (worth up to 60%) while the Gripen E ended up being ahead on both price (worth 20%) and industrial offsets (worth the remaining 20%).   According to my source April Furst, who is currently serving an internship in the House of Commons.  The ultimate decision was made rather hastily while the final scores were being tallied up.   "Due to COVID restrictions and renovations, the FFCP committee were forced to convene in a remote office located in the basement of the Parliament building.  You could tell it wasn't used very often.  Lots of cobwebs, and the whole place smelled musty and moldy.   "The committee members were doing their thing, going down each individual line of the respective offers.  It was actually pretty close, by
Read more

FINAL THOUGHTS

Image
  So…. Now what? The process is still far from over but what is left is mostly mundane and bureaucratic.  Stuff like finalizing costs, delivery dates, etc. Hopefully, Canada can now focus it procurement efforts on  revitalizing the rest of the Canadian Armed Forces.  With fighters and frigates out of the way; it’s high time we look into replacing our submarines, MRTTs, and other.  Recent lessons from the war in Ukraine has also made it clear that UCAVs are the future of warfare.  Canada best catch up. Was all this for nothing?  No.  I do not believe so.  Even though Canada is still choosing the F-35, it is doing so in a much more rational way.  We have taken the time to evaluate our needs.  Taken a clear look at the options.  We have arrived at a decision removed from political whim.  Ultimately, Canada is getting a lot more aircraft than initially planned.  We are also getting later build F-35s.  Now, more of the kinks are out.  These newer aircraft should be both more reliable and mo
Read more

Fighter Jet Fight Club: Gripen NG vs. Super Hornet!

Image
I will be honest...  I have been dreading this installment of Fighter Jet Fight Club.  I tend to root for the underdog in any competition, but what happens when underdogs have to compete against each other?  Both of these aircraft have a 0-2 record for FJFC, yet both are clearly crowd favorites in the comment section. Our contestants today are two of the biggest value propositions in the fighter world today.  Both are "modernized" versions of aircraft that have been flying since the 80s.  Neither make promises of being the most dominant force in the skies, but they do promise a "90%" solution at "50%" of the cost.  Most importantly, both aircraft are "tried and true" designs that have provided years of faithful service.  Despite this, they are often overlooked in favor of newer, flashier aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II. Which aircraft will see redemption here today? Just remember the rules . Air-to-Ground: Infiltration/Pe
Read more