BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

Better than $20 worth of separate tools? One of the driving forces behind the JSF program has been the effort to save money by amalgamating several different fighter replacement projects into a single effort.  The idea makes sense, in theory.  Why develop two, three, or four separate aircraft when you can develop a single platform capable of all requirements?  Not only is there a promise of saving development costs, but a common platform also promises to be cheaper in the long run as well, with economies of scale providing cheaper construction and sustainment costs. This is the theory.  Reality has proven to be much different. A new study performed by the RAND think tank questions the logic behind "Joint Fighter Programs".    Its conclusion:  Joint fighter programs end up being far more expensive in the long run.  Many don't work at all. USN F-111B. The TFX program's dead end. Let's look at the TFX program responsible for the dev...

MiG-31, obsolete aircraft...  But not obsolete concept. Recently, Russian officials have admitted to developing a MiG-31 replacement .  This sparked some interest from aviation enthusiasts who have long believed the MiG-31 "Foxhound" was little more of a remnant of the Cold War and would see retirement as the PAK FA and Su-35 became the prevalent fighters in the Russian inventory. Why does this seem odd?  Because in this age of " multi-role " jet fighters, when even the F-22 Raptor is equipped for ground attack , The Foxhound is decidedly single purpose:  Interception. MiG-25 "Foxbat". Developed from the legendary MiG-25 "Foxbat", the MiG-31 was conceived as a sort of a "Super Foxbat" with better detection abilities, longer range, and the ability to engage low flying targets.  The MiG-25 itself was developed to counter the threat of  the B-58 Hustler and (soon to be aborted) XB-70 Valkyrie bombers.  Oddly enough, early exag...