Just a few days ago the government was touting the Russian threat to Canadian airspace as a justification for buying the F-35:

…Russian bomber flights over the Arctic — just two days ago — underscore why our men and women in uniform need modern equipment to do their jobs [actually the flights were off the coast of Labrador; hardly the Arctic but geographical facts are no impediment to the Conservatives' propagandizing]…

Somehow I can’t see the Minister of National Defence drawing attention to Canadian participation in this exercise just announced by NORAD:

NORAD and Russian Air Force plan cooperative air defense exercise

Aug. 2, 2010

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The Russian Federation Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct a first-ever cooperative air defense exercise.

The civilian air control agencies of Russia (Federal Air Navigational Service) and the United States (Federal Aviation Administration) will also be involved in the exercise along with the military air operations centers at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and Khabarovsk, Russia.

The exercise, named VIGILANT EAGLE, will take place on or about Aug. 8-11 and involves Russian, Canadian and U.S. Air Force personnel operating from command centers in Russia and the United States.

This exercise is authorized under a cooperative military agreement signed by the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America. The agreement tasks NORAD, the bi-national U.S. and Canadian command, and the Russian Federation Air Force to conduct a live-fly exercise for up to five days.

It will consist of two international flights: one originating in Alaska and traveling to the Far East followed by one originating in the Far East and traveling to Alaska. Both flights will follow the same route…

Airborne warning and control aircraft (AWACS E-3B and A-50) from Russia and the United States will be involved along with fighter-interceptor aircraft and refueling aircraft from both countries…

Via Defense Industry Daily: “They’ll see the Big Board!”.  Witty chaps at DID.

Fighter update:  A major Defense Industry Daily article about India’s new fighter, er, competition that may be worth reading in the Canadian context–the F-35 also mentioned:

…
Rather than attempting to predict, DID will simply summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the listed competitors. These aircraft also group into two very different categories: single engine lightweight fighters in the $25-50 million flyaway cost range (F-16 Falcon, JAS-39 Gripen, MiG-35); and larger dual-engine mid-range fighters in the $65-120 million flyaway range (Eurofighter, F/A-18 Super Hornet, Rafale)…

More on the Canadian context:

Canada’s new fighter, the F-35: What the government is and isn’t saying

Upperdate: The Ottawa Citizen throws the same  punch, maybe less context.

Uppestdate: The Citizen has now published a fuller piece.  And the post is in the National Post’s “Full Comment“:

…

Canada’s Defence Minister Peter MacKay gestures while sitting in the cockpit of a really big toy, of which Canada will buy 65 from Lockheed Martin Corp for C$9 billion.
REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Mark
Ottawa