BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

Changing of the guard? Let me make one thing abundantly clear:  I do not consider the Super Hornet to be the "Best Fighter for Canada"™. The Eurofighter Typhoon offers better performance.  As does the Rafale.  The Saab Gripen E/F offers the best bang-for-the buck.  The F-35 is undoubtedly the future.  So why am I so ecstatic about reports that the Super Hornet is on track to become Canada's "interim" fighter? Put simply, the Super Hornet offers a substantial capability upgrade to our aging CF-18 fleet.  While it does not fly faster, nor is it more agile than the current CF-18, it does benefit from a much improved range, payload, and avionic suite.  Best of all, the Super Hornet represents the safest choice.  It is a tried-and-true platform that offers an easy transition. News of an "interim" Super Hornet acquisition is certainly better than no news at all. Some are calling foul, however.  The Liberals did promise to hold a "fair a...

RAAF Super Hornets An official announcement has yet to be made, but the Trudeau's government's rumored acquisition of Super Hornets has already drummed up controversy.  Not the least of which conjures up the dreaded "S-word"...   No, not that one . We are talking about the dreaded act of "sole-sourcing".  The awarding of a fat government contract without a full bidding process.  This does indeed raise concerns, as the vender is under no pressure to provide competitive pricing.  Unfortunately, the rumored "interim" Super Hornet acquisition does exactly that. So why would the governing Liberals do this, especially after campaigning on the promise to hold an open and fair fighter competition ?  Not only does this seemingly break an election promise, but if makes them appear as hypocrites after criticizing the Harper government for sole-sourcing the F-35. Is sole-sourcing truly such a bad thing, however? Let us look at a few examples, conve...

"See ya!" Earlier this week came reports that the Trudeau government is close to acquiring F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as "interim" fighters to address a capability gap. Now comes word that somebody "forgot" to mail the cheque required to stay in the Joint Strike Fighter buyer's club . Coincidence? Possibly, but only if you still believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, and that vaccines cause autism . I don't know about that paint scheme... One thing is for sure.  Things may finally be coming to a (sort of) conclusion in Canada's long, drawn out CF-18 replacement process. In the meantime, enjoy the fireworks.

F/A-18E Super Hornet The National Post yesterday announced that the current Liberal government is making plans to acquire the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as an "interim" replacement for the CF-18. The story can be seen here . It is important to note that there has yet to be an official announcement.  The National Post does state that the story was confirmed from "multiple sources", however. Purchasing or leasing the Super Hornet as a "interim" fighter would follow Australia's example .  In 2011, the RAAF announced plans to purchase 24 Super Hornets as a way to bridge the gap between its aging legacy Hornets and its eventual acquisition of the F-35A Lightning II. In retrospect, one can see that a major announcement should be forthcoming.  Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan recently stated: “ Our fleet of CF-18s need to be replaced now. And the fact they have not been replaced means we are facing a capability gap in the years ahead ,”  This cont...

Another Danish tragedy... To F-35 or not to F-35-that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The high operating costs and low availability rate, Or to take arms against the American Military Industrial Complex, And, by opposing, send them a clear message. To choose, another- No more-and buy another jet The setbacks and the overwhelming costs But stealth is needed and "Fifth Generation" Devoutly to be wished.  F-35:  Foregone conclusion? After a long (but not by Canadian standards) process , Denmark has chosen the F-35A Lightning II to replace its aging fleet of F-16s.   When one takes a closer look as to why  the F-35 was chosen, it becomes clear that something was rotten in the state of Denmark.  There is likely a very good reason why Saab bailed out at early stage . This left the JSF, the Typhoon and Super Hornet as possible contenders. Sandbagged Super Hornet Some Danish pilots have gone o...

I will be making an excursion into Canada's nerve center (aka: Ottawa) this week, from the 10th to the 16th of May.  Friday and Saturday will be spent geeking it up at the Ottawa Comicon.  I will also be spending a day at the Parliament Buildings, likely shouting obscenities to various politicians. On Sunday, May 15th, I will be spending most of the day at the Ottawa Air and Space Museum  with some friends who help me moderate the BF4C Facebook group .  So, if you see a bunch of weird looking aviation nerds (at least one wearing a tropical shirt) come up and say hello.  Just don't get me started on the CP-107 Argus and watch out for Kyle (He's...  Uh...   Different .) We will also try to fit in a day to scout out the Diefenbunker  as a possible BF4C headquarters. So...  If you are traveling in one of the eastern provinces and see a grey Dodge Challenger R/T in your rear-view mirror, move aside, because that guy is ON A MISSION. ...

Before I wade neck-deep into the murky waters of Canada's future defence policy, I would like to make one thing VERY CLEAR:  I am not, nor ever have been, a military expert of any kind.  My forays into miniature wargaming led to more losses than wins.  I am not particularly good at chess.  Even my paint-balling skills leave a lot to be desired.  Please keep in mind that there is a real possibility that I have no idea what I am talking about. Also, I will attempt to avoid getting into specifics.  Doing so would not really help, and bogging things down with numbers would be pointless anyway. While I will attempt to answer the "Key Consultation Questions", I will do so using my own set of guidelines to avoid any wishful thinking or unrealistic expectations.  These are: Canada's defence budget will remain fairly modest.   While it would be nice to see Canada meet the 2% of GDP target set out by NATO, the chances of that actually happening...