Three of our aging, born-in-the-Cold-War CF-18s. It's already past time to replace them, as I gathered from watching a documentary awhile back on Discovery Channel.
So let's haul ass and get 'er done!
So let's haul ass and get 'er done!
$4 billion+ for 65 new fighters. (Translated by Google from French, so it reads a little funny in parts)
Apparently, while it's long been speculated that the new F-35 Lightning would be the fighter of choice, no actual decision has been made. Looks like they're being wise and shopping around to see what's out there, etc. (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, EAD). The Boeing Super Hornet is one possibility, as it's a very good fighter, and cheaper than the F-35. The excellent EF-2000 Typhoon is another possibility, but its high price (2X that of the Super Hornet) is a serious drawback. If it were up to me, I'd, right now, order a bunch of Super Hornets with some F-22s as well for the air superiority role (Of course we must have that, too, as we don't want Darth Vladimir to send over the North Pole a bunch of MiGs and Sukhois to take over some part -the North, obviously- of our country, do we?).
Of course, we really need much more for the Forces, seeing how the Enemies are amassing their own military might, presumedly in preparation to invade/destroy other nations and be ready for a world war should they be opposed, but it's a necessary start, at least. Hey, remember when The Nazis and the Japanese amassed their militaries? We know what they were doing that for! That's part of what today's all about!
Hmm. You know, if we really had to have new ones right now, we could have 'em way, way sooner. But, of course, the folks in the offices, being the politicians and bureaucrats they are, want to get the best plane for predicted needs for a reasonable price (let's hope that's their objective, and not something else!), so it'll take longer. Of course, if all hell breaks loose, well, we could always transform our industrial infrastructure into military production mode as we've done before, perhaps resurrecting Avro, who built the legendary Lancaster bombers (check out the self-defense guns in the rear of that beast) of WWII, not to mention the revolutionary, though unfortunately politically scrapped, Avro Arrow interceptor... (Oh, and I can't help but mention that my dad, while working on Project 572 (DEW Line radar watch stations in the north) at Cambridge Bay circa 1957-1958, photographed a retrofitted veteran Lancaster serving the area, and I'm lucky to have these pix.).
Ah, but I digress... it's that time of year, after all...
