F-35 JSF. Canada's new jet?

[Starscream]

The DND is looking to replace our againg fleet of CF-18 Hornets by 2020. The Canadian gov. has invested 150$ million dollars into the F35 JSF program and is looking at purchasing 80 of the aircraft for aprox. 3.8$ billion dollars. However the 3.8 doesn't include training, sustainment, and any follow up costs.

Now on Monday, may12, the federal gov. announced a reduction on the purchase from the original 80 to 65. Stating that the new fighters will have significantly greater capacity than our existing ones. But yet, two days later the gov. says that purchasing the F35 is no guarantee. The Canadian gov. is going to keep its options open for the replacement fighters.

So....we get involved with the JSF program, invest 150$ million dollars into it, announcement to buy 80, then reduced to 65, and now feds might not buy any. Exactly what the hell are they doing?

 

[dj03]

Cutting our losses if the final cost of these jets is ridiculous.

 

[hermanntrude]

they should buy some eurofighters

 

[#juan]

The longer they wait the more expensive these fighters are gonna get. Right now they are more than twice as much money as the F-18. What we have to do is commit to the size of military that we need and just get it. I think there should be a lighter, less expensive fighter as well as the F-35. We don't need a seventy million dollar airplane for every job.

 

[darkbeaver]

We shouldn't bother with them at all. A monstorous waste of tax dollars to fatten the pockets of the Corporate Security Complex for the continuation of the war on the public.

 

[Praxius]

So....we get involved with the JSF program, invest 150$ million dollars into it, announcement to buy 80, then reduced to 65, and now feds might not buy any. Exactly what the hell are they doing?

Damn, now I need to change my avatar.... You want it? Just copy it right off and the next time I see you with it, I'll switch over to one of my others.

As to what they are doing? Probably tip toeing on eggshells to make sure they make all sides happy... those who want funding into our military and those who think we're getting too militarized. We probably won't know until they actually do something.

 

[eh1eh]

they should buy some eurofighters

No effing kidding. We don't need a new development plane. We're bloody Canada. We need something that can do the job, is proven and has replacement parts actually available. Hell, we aren't that rich or stupid. (I hope, about the stupid part, sigh)

 

[eh1eh]

Damn, now I need to change my avatar.... You want it? Just copy it right off and the next time I see you with it, I'll switch over to one of my others.

You know dude his avatar is a bit different than yours.

 

[unclepercy]

We really appreciate the business since the F-35 is made in Dallas/Fort Worth. I see:
Israel submits request to buy 25 F-35 jets, option for 50 more in today's news. Thanks,
Canada!

Business is booming. Now about the gas to fuel them? :-(

Uncle

 

[Scott Free]

We should buy some Migs. They are remarkable aircraft for their price. It would piss off the imperialists too.

 

[Starscream]

Wow. I never expected this much of attention for my first topic. Hey, Praxius, you don't need to change your avatar on my 'count. Thanks for the offer for your avatar, but I'll keep the one I have, thanks anyway though. Why not just change the colours on yours to Thundercracker or Skywarp?

What are the capabilities of the Euro Fighter compared to the F-35 JSF?

Like what capabilities is the RCAF looking for in the replacement fighter? Air supremacy or Strike Aircraft? If it's air supremacy then we can get the F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle, F-14 Tomcat (bet those F-14s are a cheap buy now since the USN retired them), EF2000, MIG-29 Fulcrum, and even the SU-37 Super Flanker*. Strike Aircraft well we have the AV-8 Harrier, Panavia Tornado, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and I can't think of any others. Do our pilots train for ground attack?

*You want air supremacy, then she's the one in my opinion.

Undepercy, Israel even submited a request to purchase your F-22 Raptors, but the U.S. gov. just says no way. Why won't the U.S. gov. sell the F-35 or F-22 to the Isarelis?

 

[dj03]

I wonder if the world political situation has reached a point where we could get away with UAVs instead of having to go through the expense of upgrading our fighters.

Outside of sometimes intercepting Russian Bears, what do we use the CF-18s for that an MQ-9 Reaper couldn't handle?

The Reaper can carry a variety of nasty armaments that can be adapted to different situations and they only cost about $8 million a piece.

There are all sorts of technical and logistical reasons why we can't deploy CF-18s to Afghanistan to give our troops better air support but we are already using UAVs for reconnaissance. Having a few...heck, a few dozen, Reapers prowling around wouldn't be that much more difficult.

Buying 80 of these suckers would cost about $640 million as compared to the $3.8 billion that 80 F-35s would cost. I would imagine the training and upkeep on them would be less expensive as well.

I'm not saying a Reaper can do the same job as an F-35 of CF-18, I am just wondering if we need the additional capabilities that these aircraft bring.

 

[Praxius]

We really appreciate the business since the F-35 is made in Dallas/Fort Worth. I see:
Israel submits request to buy 25 F-35 jets, option for 50 more in today's news. Thanks,
Canada!

Business is booming. Now about the gas to fuel them? :-(

Uncle

Just buy them and modify them to be solar powered

 

[alypipes]

Like what capabilities is the RCAF looking for in the replacement fighter? Air supremacy or Strike Aircraft? If it's air supremacy then we can get the F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle, F-14 Tomcat (bet those F-14s are a cheap buy now since the USN retired them), EF2000, MIG-29 Fulcrum, and even the SU-37 Super Flanker*. Strike Aircraft well we have the AV-8 Harrier, Panavia Tornado, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and I can't think of any others. Do our pilots train for ground attack?

Canada no longer has a RCAF, in 1967 with one foul swipe of a pen the gov't did what even Nazi Germany couldn't do: destroy Canada's military.
Yup they are gone: Black Watch of Canada, Canadian Scottish, RCAF, RCN
http://www.rcaf.com/archives/archives_features/history/unification.php

We now have a unified military system. We still have soldiers, we just don't need them right now. Canada only remembers her military when we need it. When we don't we slash the hell out of the budget.

 

[alypipes]

War is unlawful now and has been since 1928. The US, Canada, Germany, and most of the world signed the Kellog Briand Pact.

"Hopeful that, encouraged by their example, all the other nations of the world will join in this humane endeavor and by adhering to the present Treaty as soon as it comes into force bring their peoples within the scope of its beneficent provisions, thus uniting the civilized nations of the world in a common renunciation of war as an instrument of their national policy"
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/kbpact/kbpact.htm

What do we need soldiers for?

 

[#juan]

The F-35, the F-22, The Eurofighter, etc., are not going to be a big improvement over the current crop of fighters but building them will keep the military industry busy for a few years.

 

[Starscream]

alypipes, that kellog briand pact is a well meaning document, a very interesting read. Too bad the world threw it away just ten years later.

 

[Starscream]

unclepercy, I'd like to know what are the now retired F-14s going for (price wise). Hopefully your gov. didn't tear apart all of them yet.

 

[unclepercy]

unclepercy, I'd like to know what are the now retired F-14s going for (price wise). Hopefully your gov. didn't tear apart all of them yet.

I guessed the answer, and this subject is way out of my realm: Iran. For parts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/07/AR2007100701395.html

Uncle

 

[L Gilbert]

I can't see what's wrong with CF-18s. If they are maintained, they are useful. Hell's bells, the US was still using P-38 Lightenings in the Viet Nam war. They are still using F-15s and F-16s and Warthogs, let alone F-18s.