BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

"Have I got a deal for you..." In the wake of the Boeing/Bombardier/Airbus fiasco, the Boeing Super Hornet is all but disqualified as Canada's " interim fighter " to fulfill the " capability gap " inflicting the RCAF.  That has left the Government of Canada scrambling to find another fighter to bolster is aging CF-18 fleet.  Unfortunately, this means considering buying used legacy Hornets from other nations. To some, this is an  acceptable idea .  Next to buying simply nothing at all, it certainly is the most affordable option.  Apart from the the initial purchase price and getting the aircraft up to Canadian spec, there would be no additional costs required for training or setting up separate supply chains.  Procuring used Hornets would be as close to "plug-and-play" as we could ever get. It could be argued that used Hornets would be a much more sensible option than new-build Super Hornets.  This certainly is true from a value propos...

On the surface, it would appear as though the United States Navy is continuing to give lukewarm support to the F-35 .  By lukewarm, I mean do everything but leave the program outright .  Cutting orders, placing more emphasis on electronic attack and standoff weapons, and even outright stating that " stealth maybe overrated ". Not only that, but the USN needs to make up for F-35C development delays by  extending the life of its legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets , much like Canada has done.   In the meantime, the slack has to be picked up by the newer Super Hornets .  The trouble is, these Rhinos have already been quite the workhorse thanks to increased operations (War on Terror, ISIS, etc, etc...).  This extra pressure on the Super Hornet fleet could lead to the need for their own life extension program being needed sooner than later, leading to a similar problem. Simply put, in order for the USN to maintain its current level of fighter power into the foresee...

"YOUR MISSILES ARE SHOWING!" Internal storage. By carrying its weapons inside, the F-35 Lightning II presents a slippery shape when armed instead of carrying a bunch of dangly bits about.  Just like a speed skater's skin-tight suit .  Hanging all of these bombs, missiles and whatnot are surely going to slow down any fighter aircraft to crop-duster like speeds...  Right? Internal weapon bays aren't the only way to reduce a weapon's drag, however. Cue the tuba... And the French horn... Just look at the above fighters.  The EA-18G Growler up top is carrying 3 jamming pods, 2 big external fuel tanks, 2 AMRAAMs and two AGM-88 HARM missiles.  The Rafale below is festooned with 3 external tanks, 6 GBU-22 laser guided bombs, and 4 (2 IR, 2 RF) Mica missiles.  It is perfectly reasonable to assume that these aircraft would exhibit diminished performance compared to a "clean configuration".  All that extra weight and drag would take its toll, af...

For when you've made a bad decision... With the continued threat of US military budget cuts, upper brass at the Pentagon is finally starting to come around to the simple truth...  Current fighter fleets are soldiering on well past their prime, and are requiring life extension programs and upgrades to remain effective.  The JSF is still years away from operational status, with all signs pointing to further delays , and there is a very real possibility of outright cancelation . Reality is setting in...  They might need to find an alternative to the F-35. Their simply isn't time or resources to build an all new design.  The F/A-XX is still years away from any flying prototype, and securing funding for such an undertaking may prove to be a challenge in and of itself.  Any "plan B" will have to be an existing design, or, at the very least, heavily derived from one. USN Super, and Super Duper Hornets. Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. This one is ea...