F-35 Fighter Jet Purchase

[EBT]

U.S. approves potential $3.8-billion sale of air strike weaponry to Canada

LINK TO ARTICLE

I just saw this story pop up in my X timeline. Apparently, Mark Carney is buying $4 billion worth of "air strike" weaponry from Donald Trump.

According to the G&M article, these are the types of bombs that can be carried by fighter jets such as Canada’s aging CF-18s or the new U.S.-made F-35s to carry out precision strikes.

My FIRST thought is, why does Canada need "approval" to buy weapons to be carried by the CF-18 that we bought from the US 45 years ago? Why would we need approval to buy weapons to be carried on fighter jets that we bought from the Americans 45 years ago? This is like buying a car and needing to seek approval from the manufacturer to buy spare parts to keep it going. Would you buy a car like that? Your engine has a blown head gasket, and you need to seek approval from Ford or GM in the United States to get a replacement. Would you buy a car under those conditions?

My SECOND thought is, why is Canada buying arms to be carried on an F-35 when the program is supposedly under review? Great way to signal to the Americans that the F-35 review is just a sham. Great job showing our cards, idiots!

My THIRD thought is, why is the Canadian military buying ANYTHING from the United States while Donald Trump is engaged in an economic WAR against us? There should have been a moratorium on ALL MILITARY PURCHASES from the United States declared at least 10 months ago until Trump lifted ALL tariffs on Canada!

Canada is not a serious country. We have the dumbest, most gutless leaders of any country on earth. Mark Carney will be in Washington, DC, again today. No doubt he will embarrass Canada once again by submitting to Donald Trump. Maybe this time, Carney will lie prostrate in front of Trump while begging forgiveness for Doug Ford's Ronald Reagan commercial. Meanwhile, Canada's economy is bleeding out. In Sault St. Marie, 1000 workers just lost their jobs at Algoma Steel just before Christmas. This not only directly impacts a thousand devastated families in The Sault, thanks to Trump, but this will have the ripple effects throughout "The Sault" that will be far worse.

I remember Carney's last visit to the Oval Office when he giggled like a giddy schoolgirl over a lame Trump "joke". He almost fell off his chair as he clasped his legs. Adding to the national embarrassment was the shriek of laughter from Melanie Joly after Trump simply said, "I want to be great too".

 

[lenaitch]

Finally, the emerging idea for a split fleet is to go even cheaper. Just get more fighter trainers and use them only in North America. Like the Korean FA-50. The air force is shopping for a fighter trainer right now anyway. They would just buy more. And configure them for domestic and NORAD duties. The F-35 fleet will be 60-80 frames and do most of the deployed stuff.

But that goes against the public narrative that we need the F-35 fleet for the NORAD role to ensure 'compatibility' with US (even though we currently operate CF-18s and they operate F-16s and F-22s in the role). I thought we were the drag chute ("Norwegian option') for operating in the north.

Besides, does the FA-50, or any other 'trainer', have AAR or the capability for modification? The NORAD intercept role needs long legs.

 

[kEiThZ]

But that goes against the public narrative that we need the F-35 fleet for the NORAD role to ensure 'compatibility' with US (even though we currently operate CF-18s and they operate F-16s and F-22s in the role).

NORAD compatibility is really about the onboard comms systems and software. Some bidders find this burdensome to integrate. Soe don't. And we don't technically need the F-35 to do NORAD. That was a minimum requirement last time. And Gripen met it too.

The current public discourse is wholly moronic. It's basically like listening to anti-vaxxers talk about COVID. About the same level of intelligence.

I thought we were the drag chute ("Norwegian option') for operating in the north.

Fighter trainers can come with those too. Note that northern airfields are all getting runway extensions so that we shouldn't need to deploy chutes.

Besides, does the FA-50, or any other 'trainer', have AAR or the capability for modification?

Yes. The FA-50 Block 70 in particular can refuel using a standard Cobham probe.

 

[lenaitch]

NORAD compatibility is really about the onboard comms systems and software. Some bidders find this burdensome to integrate. Soe don't. And we don't technically need the F-35 to do NORAD. That was a minimum requirement last time. And Gripen met it too.

The current public discourse is wholly moronic. It's basically like listening to anti-vaxxers talk about COVID. About the same level of intelligence.

Ok, but this is a public message being fed out from some fairly high levels on both sides. I get that, when it comes from the US, it is likely self-serving.

It tend to agree that the strengths of the F-35 would be more suited to expeditionary roles.

Fighter trainers can come with those too. Note that northern airfields are all getting runway extensions so that we shouldn't need to deploy chutes.

OK, but if it is true that we are getting the 'chute option, but don't really need it, it sounds like wasteful spending and an unnecessary 'Canadianization' that we are famous for.

 

[kEiThZ]

OK, but if it is true that we are getting the 'chute option, but don't really need it, it sounds like wasteful spending and an unnecessary 'Canadianization' that we are famous for.

It's good to have. Dramatically reduces landing distances. So helps in poor weather. Or poor surface condition. However, we're upgrading our airfields to minimize the need. But that's just our fields. In a pinch a pilot might have to use something else. And here the chute would help.

 

[kEiThZ]

‘Completely unrealistic:’ Critics question Saab’s offer to bring 10,000 aerospace jobs to Canada

Critics are questioning the solidity of Saab’s pitch to deliver 10,000 jobs in Canada if it decides to set up shop here to assemble Gripen fighter jets.

www.cp24.com