Possible implications of reduced UK F-35 buy for Canada
…some broader possible effects, including higher costs, from the F-35’s home town newspaper:
Future prospects for the F-35 joint strike fighter program got a lot murkier Tuesday after British government officials announced plans to delay and dramatically trim their purchases of the warplane from Lockheed Martin…
The moves by the British, who for 15 years have been the foremost ally of the Pentagon in planning and paying for development of the F-35, figure to drive up the costs of buying aircraft for the U.S. and other governments and lead to further delays by other nations expected to buy the jets [emphasis added]…
Yet Canadian F-35 enthusiasts keep saying things like this:
…the aerospace industry itself has been praising the F-35 purchase — and calling on the Liberals to do the same — because although it doesn’t guarantee any work, it does allow Canadian companies to bid on cutting edge technological and manufacturing contracts for between 3,000 and 5,000 F-35 jets being built for the global market…
It seems to me that these people, and this government, are turning into ostriches (at least the F-35 itself actually flies).
Today we read this from industry minister Tony Clement, head obviously firmly in the sand:
…Let’s be clear, suppliers in the program are involved through the active life of all the F-35s in the program. This means work on up to 5,000 F-35 fighters for up to 40 years [note the 3,000 figure dropped, only the almost absurd maximum mentioned]…
Sure, Tony. More from Mr Clement here and here on why this government really wants to buy the F-35 (hint: jobs, jobs, jobs; votes, votes, votes–esp. in la belle province nation).
Update: Post is the “More” in the Spotlight:
…
Canadian Commentary
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Tony Clement — National Post
Letter: The Canadian Forces need the F-35, now – Photo – More…
Mark
Ottawa
You won’t answer my question: which plane should we buy instead? Thanks.
That’s why they hold the competitions.
Mark
Ottawa
There is no other plane.
So Mark would rather us spend money on a useless study and then make the same decision.
Nothing like wasting money on top of money.
The Sea Kings are still doing well.
So “no other plane”? May I suggest you start looking at what is in the aviation media, clearly beyond the ken of Canadian politicians of all stripes; they do not know a Lightning II from a Raptor, from a Typhoon, from a Rafale, from a Super Hornet, from an F-15SE, from a Gripen NG, from an F-16 Block 60, plus them Russki fighters (do you?):
“Generation Gap”
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3af9a433e0-cdbf-41e4-9d82-88119c21d015
“SDSR And The JSF”
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a0ab744cf-bbea-427c-bf37-6fd5b63f895c
Please have the courtesy to read the above links and start informing yourself. There are many other relevent links from other knowledgeable sources at other posts of mine.
Mark
Ottawa
Mark, come on buddy, we arn’t buying any Ruskie planes and europe? Heck they are scaling back on the eurofighter and the industry over there is shrinking too as in the US. Besides, we hooked out caboose to the US when we cancelled the Avro Arrow and what sense is their going another direction now?
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[...] says that Canadian companies will be able to bid for contracts on a total production run of up to 5,000 planes, that we will pay a direct acquisition price of just $70-75 million for each for our 65 fighters, [...]