Derek 2.0

Why waste time and money? Better to educate than appease.

Not the Royal Navy...............but yes, readiness is key, in relation to the RCAF, as its been since the creation of NORAD. Of course, accepting that mantra, the selection of the F-35A should be obvious, as its the very same aircraft that the Americans will be using to complete their NORAD commitments out to the middle of this century.

Read your link:

If we're looking for benefits, the Canadian aerospace industry is already producing components for the F-35 in Canada......Boeing (maker of the Super Hornet) doesn't have a similar footprint (they do produce portions of Boeing civilian products) for the Super Hornet, Dassault, Saab and the Eurofighter consortium partners have no such footprint for military aircraft in Canada.

Clearly Chinese and Russian industry Indeed, the Arrow's fate was sealed on the day of its first flight, when the Russians also shared a first on that day:

How so? Have you yourself not pontificated and postulated on the tea leaves found within the countless polls from within this thread?

Exactly, and we ended up buying the CH-149 anyways, and have been delayed by PM PM's selection of the Cyclone for over a decade......a span in which we could have received our entire order of Merlins if chosen a second time.

Different countries have differing accounting methods for through-life support, not for acquisition from another manufacturer with a fixed price offered to several differing countries at the same price point (The one exception would be US DoD FMS agreements).........as such, the Gripen NG, Rafale, Eurofighter and F-15 Silent Eagle currently cost more than the LRIP F-35, per plane flyaway cost, the Super Hornet is only slightly cheaper than the current F-35 price, likewise block 52/60 F-16s.........as these various programs wind down, their price will increase as the F-35 decreases as it enters full-rate production in ~2018. Hence why not a single JSF partner has left the program, and other nations have joined.

Why not? Are you suggesting we'd get a better deal than Brazil? The Gripen NG's astronomic costs are well known within the aerospace community, and is why Norway rejected the Gripen NG (in favor of the cheaper and more capable F-35), likewise why the Swiss cancelled their planned purchase of Gripens........

More evidence Trudeau doesn't have a clue: So Trudeau cites cost as a reason to forgo the F-35, naming the Swedish Gripen as an alternative, even though Saab itself pulled out of the Hornet replacement...........Of course, assuming Saab had a change of heart, how does Trudeau expect to save money with the Gripen when: $4.5 billion / 36 Gripen NG fighters = ~$125 million per aircraft, or simply put, ~$30 million per aircraft more than what we'll pay for the F-35...........

I expect in the weeks ahead more of the candidates, with no chance of winning, to follow suite and their vote share to solidify around Bush and Rubio.

What is their margin of error? I do know, their last polls prior to the last several elections, saw them with results 2-4% lower than the actual outcome.

Or actually like "I post the poll released the Monday morning after the most recent leaders debate on a political forum, in a thread on election polling".

Furthermore, his pledge to cancel the F-35 program, in favor of a cheaper option (there aren't any) and redirect the funds into already budgeted shipbuilding is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

To add, the current and projected cost comparisons between the F-35A and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (what is mentioned in the Liberal's platform) The current price in 2015 FY USD, for a pre-production F-35A: Of course, Canada wouldn't be purchasing the F-35 until it was in full production, at which point, per Lockheed, the aircraft will cost: Now the Super Hornet, which is winding down production, per the most recent contract to the Kuwaiti air force: $3 billion / 28 aircraft = ~$107 million per aircraft..............$107 million price for aircraft that will not be used by the USAF and Air National Guard in the defense of North American airspace via NORAD out to the 2050-60 time frame, likewise $107 million price tag for aircraft that the USN and RAAF will start retiring in the later 2020s-2030s. Trudeau is an idiot for disallowing the F-35 in a Hornet replacement program..........Harper's position I agree with (no surprise) and I'm forced to give Mulcair credit, if he was to hold a fair competition for the Hornet replacement, that I do feel is a waste of time, it will find the F-35 the winner on both capability and price-point.......as its doing with other Western nations.

And from Forum, the firm that historically underpins the Tories by 2-4%: A day before the 2011 election, Forum polled the Tories at ~36%......

Ahh, no, it doesn't........"sources" tell CTV that they've likely lost 1 or 2 ships........of course, "sources" also told media that the Government would only be able to purchase 3-4 AOPS, yet, Irving signed a contract, and has started building, the planned six.

And of course, on the West Coast, SEASPAN has also started it portion of the shipbuilding program...... And in Quebec, MIL-Davie:

A leaked internal document with all the potential risks for the program, highlighting the worse case scenarios.........of note, the portions of the program that have been awarded to Irving (the builder of the CSC from your article), the AOPS, are on schedule........your linked to hit job failed to mention that: And in the real world: Ships being built would indicate the Government is doing this procurement successfully.......

Trudeau steps in it again: Two points, first Trudeau states he would hold a "open and transparent competition" but that it would exclude the F-35. Second he states our primary mission for our fighter aircraft is in the defense of North America. To the first point, how is the exclusion of the F-35 in the spirit of an open and transparent competition? The F-35 is already cheaper than the two European contenders, and has been apart of nearly every other Western nations similar competitions, of which, it has yet to loose. Second point, he speaks to our role in NORAD, but fails to (understand?) mention, the largest contributor, the USAF and various Air National Guard units, will also be using the F-35 in the defense of North America into the middle of this century. The Tories position I feel is a given, but what surprised me: I guess it doesn't hurt the F-35 that it has sub contractors in industry, already producing various portions of the aircraft, in NDP ridings.........

No doubt, the Boks have already dug themselves a hole.

I don’t think its impossible to imagine Canada getting out of the first round/pool……We’ve beat the Kiwis, so on paper, we should be competitive against the Irish and maybe even the French….big game against the Irish in the morning.. And I expect the Boks to destroy Japan after it.

Geopolitics is but a part of the animal kingdom…..in ethology, there are always alphas, betas and omegas…….. Ethics are subjective…….in geopolitics, like nature, it’s far more palatable to have ethics when one is holding the big stick with a belly full of food.

Why did the UN use soldiers and not philosophers (or lawyers) for peacekeeping?

That might be true, but more likely, they were forced from the trees.........those that beat their swords to ploughshares, end up plowing for someone else.