Canada’s Military current state & equipment

[Ron in Regina]

At least one nation is regretting its purchase of F-35s. Denmark has been embroiled in a dispute with the Trump administration over the president’s push to own Greenland. The small European country even deployed those jets to the Arctic island over the threats.

The petulance displayed by the U.S. ambassador to Canada is exactly what you might expect from Pete Hoekstra if he had just been informed that Canada intends to spend half the money earmarked for new F-35 fighter jets on the rival Swedish Gripen.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ottawa is warning of consequences to the continental defence pact if Canada does not move forward with the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

Regardless, all the signs point to Ottawa buying fewer F-35s than it said it would.

Rasmus Jarlov, head of the Danish parliament's defence committee, has described "second thoughts" over the order, but says the country has little choice now that it is their only operational fighter aircraft.

Sources have told National Post that half of the jet-fighter fleet Canada ends up buying (by value) could be Swedish. David McGuinty, the minister of defence, told the Post on Tuesday, “No decision has been reached.”

But reading Carney’s speech in Davos, it is hard to see how the government could come to any other conclusion than to diversify its suppliers.

John Ivison: Sources say Ottawa considering Swedish jets over F-35s for half of fleet — National Post

All the signs point to Ottawa buying fewer than half the number of F-35s it said it would, and Carney's speech in Davos explains why

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Carney ordered a review of the fighter jet purchase last March, to find out if buying the fifth-generation F-35s was really the best investment for Canada. Ottawa is already committed to purchasing at least 16 jets and is in the process of building the infrastructure to accommodate them. Cancelling the F-35 deal is not a feasible option. The first planes are due to be delivered this year, with the first eight going to Luke Air Force base in Arizona for pilot training.

But building a mixed fleet, as the Germans have done, is a realistic option (the German air force has around 138 Eurofighter Typhoons and has ordered 35 F-35s).

Jarlov has a message for Canada: "choose another fighter jet. They're in for repairs about half the time or even more," he said, "so the Americans have all the power of actually destroying our air force just by shutting down [parts] supplies."

The most likely scenario seems to be that Canada will buy around 40 F-35s and complement them with up to 80 Saab Gripens, which would be made in Quebec.

The Gripens could be sole-sourced, using a national security clause, on the basis that the fighter came second to the F-35 in the most recent competition.

People who know their jets advised me the F-35 is a plane that will still be combat viable in 30 years and will likely prove be the springboard to autonomous systems.

But what use is superior capability if its use is dependent on an ally that has proven unreliable?

It is crazy , but the CBC pushes and the sheep eat it up . Elbows up Canada . Hoorah .

There have been concerns — denied by the manufacturer — that there is a “kill” switch that could disable the jet. But even if untrue, the F-35 relies on software upgrades that could be denied.

If the Carney government were to order the Swedish-built Gripen fighter jet, as it is considering, the ambassador says the arrangement with NORAD would still have to be rethought.

The U.S. remains a key ally of Canada. But for the first time in a century, the Canadian Forces are reportedly preparing military models to respond to a hypothetical American invasion. However unlikely that scenario is, the fact that it is no longer unthinkable suggests it is time to find new friends.