BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

The UK Ministry of Defence made a major announcement at the Farnborough Air Show today.  It unveiled plans for a new fighter to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon . First of all, let us start with the name:  TEMPEST.  It is very cool.  The name implies lineage with the current Typhoon and harkens back to the Hawker Tempest fighter-bomber of WWII.  Not only that, but the name "Tempest" is darn-right Shakespearean . The design itself seems rather plain in comparison. BAE Replica At first glance, it resembles the BAE Systems Replica  design study.  A stealthy twin-engined, twin-tailed delta that also happens to look eerily similar to Boeing's X-32.  There even seems to be a slight resemblance to the Handley-Page Victor bomber. While the Tempest is being billed as a sixth generation fighter, its appearance is distinctly fifth generation.  Then again, nobody really knows what "6th gen" aircraft are going to look like...  Desp...

Any person who has bought the latest and greatest technological gadget  knows the pain.  The sheer joy of showing off that slick new piece of kit turns to frustration when its successor is announced . The F-35 Lightning II is still months away from its IOC, yet the USAF is already looking into future upgrades .  Not just minor upgrades, like additional weapons, but major upgrades like radar and engines.  Considering the massive amount of PR stating that the F-35 is the most "advanced fighter in the world", one might start to question why the USAF is already planning on the current model becoming obsolete. The JSF has been criticized for its flaws.  It is seen as too heavy, too slow, too expensive, and not that much better than legacy F-16s and F/A-18s it is destined to replace.  It is reasonable to assume that the addition of a new, more powerful engine, improved avionics, and even laser weapons  would make it more palatable to its critics. ...