BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

As long-time readers know, the summer months tend to be a slow time here at bestfighter4canada. The House of Commons is on its summer break, so major announcements tend to be few and far between...  Especially in a non-election year.  With a dearth of stuff to report on (and an all too short Canadian summer), your humble writer lacks the will to sit at a keyboard...  Barring the occasional "summer surprise" like a missed  air show appearance due to fire . This summer feels different, however. While there will be the typical "summer slow down", it will hopefully be a prelude to an much busier time.  The upcoming year will see Canada's CF-18 replacement program begin in earnest. As the selection process slowly churns, expect the fighter manufacturers to ramp up their marketing efforts.  Unlike the past, when the F-35 was the  defacto  choice and the other alternatives were merely paid lip service, this could be (hopefully) be anyone's g...

Over the last few years, the Republic of Turkey has presented a bit of conundrum to its NATO allies. Last year, a  controversial referendum  replaced Turkey's parliamentary government to a presidential system.  This greatly increased Turkish president Recap Erdogan's power within the country and paves the way for a full-on dictatorship.  Unlike other presidential systems, Turkey lacks the checks and balances to reign in  potential abuse . Preceding this was an attempted coup attempt that seems  quite suspicious in retrospect . Turkey has also been less-than-helpful when it comes to the conflict in Syria.  From inconveniences (like denying the US  use of an airbase ) too outright antagonism ( sending its own troops in to confront US-backed Kurds ).  To make matters worse, Turkish forces  downed a Russian Su-24  when it came uncomfortably close (but not into) Syrian air space.  Needless to say, a NATO shooting down a Rus...

"Hey Justin, smell my finger..." Well...  It looks like the opening salvo has been fired in a trade war between the USA and Canada . The particulars are not important to our discussion here; just the usual bloviating and rhetoric .  What is important is whether or not this trade war will play a role in Canada's CF-18 replacement decision. Should military purchases be considered as ammunition in a trade war? On one hand, it could be argued that any trade war with the USA would be temporary.  Why base a 30 (or more) year fighter commitment on presidency that may not see the end of the decade?  Trump's tariffs are not widely supported and would likely not outlast his presidency.  With the CF-18 replacement not likely happening until the mid-2020s, the entire Trump presidency could be considered a moot point. Unfortunately, the Trump presidency (and his tariffs) will cast its shadow over most, if not all, of the CF-18 replacement process.  An RFP...

Years ago, I started blogging as an outlet to help with my PTSD symptoms.  Sitting down at a computer and writing about fighter jets may not seem like "therapy" to some of you, but it has helped me escape the stresses of the EMS world that I am a part of in my "day job".  For that, I am thankful. Unfortunately, some are not so lucky. Tragedy struck my station last week when a colleague, partner, and good friend lost his battle with mental illness .  We did not just lose a coworker that day, but a member of our family. Being witness to traumatic events, long hours, sleep deprivation, and a high-stress work environment all take their toll.  It is no wonder that first responders have a high incidence of mental illness . Unfortunately, some dismiss the issue; stating that first responders "know what they signed up for".  The truth is; paramedics, firefighters, police, and other first responders can witness sights many people cannot even fathom.  Nobo...

Some of you have messaged me regarding the state of the comments section.  I apologize for not being able to police it given my hectic schedule and desire to spend what little time I have producing content over moderating. In order to help remedy this, I have decided to bestow moderator powers on those that I trust.  If all goes well I will continue adding moderators as needed. For the time being, please welcome Jim Leko (PlayLoud) and Harry White (Harry) in their new roles.    Both have proven themselves knowledgeable resources over in the Facebook group and I wish them well in their new roles here.

Can we mash these together and make a baby? Unfortunately for fighter buffs, it appears as though Japan may  discontinue its homegrown 5th generation fighter plans . Despite a relatively successful run of its ATD-X, Tokyo has balked at the overwhelming cost of developing it into a combat-ready production model.  The decision is not yet final , but there seems to be little hope left for the " Shinshin ". While Japan is already on the list to receive the F-35, the JSF has always been considered a consolation price for not getting the F-22 .  Unfortunately for  Japan, US law forbade any Raptor exports.  While many would argue that the F-35 is "good enough" it may have a hard time facing Russia's Su-57 and China's J-20 .  This has left Japan pining for a high performance air-superiority fighter to replace its aging F-15J fleet.   So what is Japan to do? Like a superhero leaping into action (or a vulture swooping in) Lockheed Martin is there . ...

With all the political animosity going on against Boeing, one might think that Lockheed-Martin's F-35 has returned to its rightful place as the likely CF-18 replacement. Time, and the passage of it, works out in favor of the F-35 in Canada.  It has now been over three years since the Liberal Government's rise to power on the promise to scrap the F-35 purchase.  During that time, the JSF program has hit milestones and began to enter service with the US military.  Costs have come down.  Most important of all, its chief sales rival has seen a catastrophic fall from grace.  Given all this, it would seem the F-35 could very well make a Canadian comeback. Well...  Not so fast. In the past, two of the JSF's most worrying issues have been its costs and its mission readiness.  Recent reports do little dissuade these fears. While increasing the F-35's production rate has resulted in a decrease in production cost , its sustainment cost is still outrag...