Actually the latest block variant of the F-18 Super Hornet would have been a good deal.With it’s new advanced radar and classified as Gen 4.5. Other features including 2 engines and ‘ buddy ‘ refuelling and of course the most advanced avionics in the business.

A F35 stealth fighter without a stealth tanker arround is a frozen siting duck in Canada and have no usable value in protecting the north…nor in Asia Pacific area.

For example, political botching of the original F35 program put us behind more than 10 years behind.
OTH, the F35s we’re getting now are far better than what was on-offer in the Harper era.

I think we need to invest in an unmanned stealth tanker fleet like what was developed for the US Navy. That would extend our range in the North.

Politicizing defence procurements always leads to delays and bad decisions.

Israel seems to have used it in combat.

So 88 jets over 6 air bases equals 14 planes per base, add on all of the logistics that go with that and we are talking billion$ more than just the cost of the aircraft.

Somebody somewhere needs to wake up and smell the coffee, real fast or we as a country are facing a HUGE financial mistake here that could not only cripple us militarily, but could also lose us a country if one of the red three decide to march on over. Two well placed pre-emptive strikes could wipe out our entire air force.

That is if someone somewhere doesn’t wake up fast.

Like yesterday.

Canada will received a truncated verse of Bloc 4 in 2026…a trumpcated bloc 4 in 2027…a partial pre final verse of a…in 2035. Stop dreaming or stop smoking J.T. marijuana…Lockhead Martin is hystoricaly knowned for lobbeying and selling flying saucer not ready, late, more expensive than previouly figured and gonna catch Canadians taxes payers by the balls with the hi maintenance cost of this hangar queen…

Yeah, super scared of the four T-60’s Russia can muster. And you won’t see more any time soon- they’ll be busy rebuilding the the entire tank inventory they lost.

Why not both (F-35 and F-15 latest generation)… I believe this year we have a GDP of more than 2200 billion dollars, increasing by 4 or 5% each year…. For 40 million ‘residents ? Our army should be at least x3 in capacity. We rely too much on our neighbors.

Bombardier is never on time or on budget, and would, as soon as it got the contract, begin demanding government subsidies and bailouts, while the Liberal Party hacks lined up to fill their pockets with kickbacks. Canada needs to buy it’s aircraft from a reputable supplier at a fixed price and on time.

200% O.K. with that.

Fear….