BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

Not happening for Spain anytime soon. There aren't many options for STOVL fighters these days.  No options at all, in fact.  The only STOVL fighter aircraft currently in production is the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lighting II.  Its predecessor, the AV-8 Harrier, was no different.  The only other STOVL fighter to make production was the Soviet Yak-38 "Forger" . The F-35B is seen as the de facto choice for organizations operating Harriers.  It is the only fighter with STOVL abilities, enabling it to operate from smaller aircraft carriers designed primarily for helicopter operations.  This includes the Royal Navy, USMC, Indian Navy, Royal Thai Navy, Italian Navy, and Spanish Navy. With a monopoly on making STOVL fighters, you'd think Lockheed-Martin's F-35B sales would be shoe-in.  Unlike the "A" and "C" models, there are no alternatives to the F-35B, stealthy or no.  Yet, F-35B sales are looking incredibly shaky lately. Spanish AV-8B Harr...

Thanks to European austerity measures, along with a need for lower-GDP nations for new fighter aircraft, there seems to be few surplus fighter jets hitting the market lately. Low mileage...  Only $61 million O.B.O.  Serious offers only. The Eurofighter Typhoon, especially, seems to be flooding the market right now.  With the Tranche 3 version on the way, some countries appear to be looking to offload the older Tranche 1 model. Germany is  reported  to be looking at Eastern Europe.   Spain has offered  some of its surplus fleet to Peru, while Eurofighter partner EADS has offered  used Typhoons to Switzerland  in lieu of the Gripen NG. South African Gripens, bought for the 2010 World Cup...  Then mothballed. In more depressing news, South Africa is said to considering selling part of its  fleet of Saab Gripens .  South Africa has had issues with its Gripen fleet, as it lacks both the  financial resources ...