BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

CC-130J "Super Herc" With all the uproar and furor over the USAF's pending A-10 retirement ( or not ), one voice has stood out by actually making sense. In a commentary piece entitled The A-10 Needs To Go , Lt. Col Paul Darling makes the case that the A-10s best days are indeed behind it.  Retiring the A-10 would save the USAF about $3.7 billion over 5 years.  However, unlike USAF's plans of diverting those funds towards F-35 production, Darling recommends spending that money on something more pragmatic for the CAS (Close Air Support) role. Take the money saved from the merciful killing of the A-10 and procure Harvest Hawk-type kits for as many C-130s as possible. Then train these Harvest Hawk-130s to provide CAS using Army doctrine and employing modern technology. Or, better yet, use the money to allow the Army to find a replacement for the Kiowa, which was generally preferred by ground forces over the more expensive Apache. CH-146 Griffon, basically a ci...

The Buffalo roams...  But for how much longer? Canada is in desperate need for fixed wing search-and-rescue (FWSAR) aircraft.  It's current fleet of CC-115 Buffalo aircraft started service with the RCAF in 1967.  Like the Sea King helicopter, there is nothing glaringly wrong with the Buffalo current performance, but it is getting more difficult and expensive to maintain and find parts for this Canadian icon.  These new aircraft will also relieve the CC-130H Hercules from its search and rescue (SAR) duties. The process to procure new FWSAR aircraft has been ongoing for close to 10 years now , with next to no movement into the process.  Compared to replacing the CF-18, finding an acceptable FWSAR aircraft should be a relative cakewalk, politically speaking.  The aircraft themselves are likely to be far more affordable than cutting edge jet fighters, and Canadians are generally far more willing to see their tax dollars being spent on equipment devoted ...