Derek 2.0

Ahh no, Canada hasn't had a viable area air defense capability since the Banshee was retired, as the radars/fire control systems aboard the 280s could never fully utilize the range advantage afforded by the SM2, and they currently offer no real advantage over the ESSM on the frigates. The Kingfish made the 280s obsolete, not Harper

Some will, but Lockheed by far does the most business with our military........ironically, the Sea King's replacement is now a LockMart joint

Yup, and in doing so, pay more for a lesser capability then what the RCAF defined.

Like I said above, furthered based on the project head's resume and her 2-3 person staff size, in my opinion, I doubt anything will be selected during this mandate, and that the Government will just wait out the clock on this file post 2019..........and if they do select something, the process will be bogged down by lawsuits for years if they preclude one bidder (Lockheed) by product name in a "fair and open" competition........or worse, end user technology transfer agreements with the US Government thrown into quicksand if we select a non-American aircraft.

Again, that is bogus, as the Liberals promised no new funding for the navy, just to shift savings from the RCAF's backs to that of the navy....the problem though, there won't be any major savings.......purchasing a legacy aircraft as opposed to the F-35 might afford DND the savings to procure replacements for their aging tugs and auxiliary yard vessels, but not much else.

I would say it will be worse, judging by the resume of the young lady who the Liberals put in charge........a 30 something with just over a decades work experience, in namely HR and finance, over at Fisheries and Oceans........it would seem her educational background is in Political Science, volleyball and track & field.

Its a bogus narrative, though they might save a small sum on the initial purchase with a legacy aircraft, through life operational costs won't differ regardless what we select, but on the back end of the aircraft's life we will spend more on an orphaned fleet (once the major users of legacy aircraft start retiring them in the 2030) through sheer economies of scale..........this of course is discounting loss of capability and block obsolescence with operating a legacy aircraft designed in the 70s or 80s out into the 2050s-60s.........as I've said countless times, doing such would be akin to operating an aircraft today, designed in the later stages of the second world war-Korean war era.

No, what is insane, is the selection of the new head of the program, with a staff of 2 or 3 people...........

Well no, they're not, they designed the aircraft, in partnership with allies, to replace current multirole aircraft in each nations service.

Well no, it isn't.......the Gripen was designed, by the Swedes, primarily as an anti-tank/ground attack aircraft. The Gripen is one of the least suited aircraft for Canada.

That's odd......since "Europe" isn't a nation, but of the majority of intended European F-35 users, the F-35 will replace the F-16 as said nations multirole fighter.........The Americans, without a doubt, will use their F-35s as a "ground pounder", likewise the majority contribution to their NORAD commitment.

It might, but then such aircraft could very well become the mainstay of third world nations, much like the Mig-21 and the F-5 tiger is today.

No, grounded in reality, as the production of the Super Hornet, Rafale and Eurofighter are to cease within this decade, as the current main users all have concurrent replacement programs to replace said aircraft in the 2030s.

Said blog is using figures of the now decades old Gripen that is currently in service with the Swedish air force, but is being replaced by the Gripen NG.......Saab has pulled itself from the proposed competition for the simple reason that they know Canada has no need for a light fighter intended to attack the Soviet hordes invading our country.

If they aren't out of the inventory of their current users, they will be heading that way, well Canada will require decades more service of an obsolete aircraft........the one upside, our then frontline aircraft, will be quite the attraction at airshows, much like classic warbirds are today.

Huh? Both the joint French-European and British programs have been ongoing for more than a decade, which in the 2030s, will equate to the same timeline as both the development of the Rafale, Eurofighter and Gripen. With that, as the current users are starting to retire their Rafales and Eurofighters, Canada will be looking for a mid-life upgrade of an aircraft with its roots in the 70s and 80s.

Perhaps unlikely to you, but your baseless assumption runs counter to the actual pan-European program(s) to replace the various fleets of Eurofighters, Rafales and Gripens in the early 2030s with the stealth spawn of Taranis and nEUROn, be it manned, unmanned or optionally manned.......

Without a doubt, and will be operating it decades after the French have retired it.

Its not, its a corporate welfare program for the French aerospace industry.......the French navy (in the 80s) wanted the Hornet.

And in those cases where it has been selected, the Americans were not prepared to offer the sale of the F-35.

Exactly, the RAAF were offered (and preferred) a squadrons worth of B-1 bombers from the Americans, but turned down the option with the cost of operating them........Their Super Hornets now will likely be replaced (per their defense review) with sub launched cruise missiles and F-35Bs operated off their LHDs......... But, as you said, this is a strawman, as the front line tactical aircraft of the RAAF will be the F-35A.

Ahhh, nope.......the F-35 was only ever an option to fill their long range strike requirement, even then, they would have procured the extended range naval version or the F-35B in conjunction with the Canberra class.

Nope......not unless it flew off a ship or had extended range.

The F-111? Nope. You should move on........to sources inclusive of their new Government defense review

The ~28 aircraft option will be determined with their new white paper, but is likely to see them procure the F-35B to jointly share between the RAAF and the RAN FAA.