With a nudge nudge wink wink Canada has commited itself to not building a defence based upon F35 flying bricks. Instead the logical move was made. Canada will purchase 18 F18 superhornets and defer any decision on the F35 purchase until the 2020's. Seriously even if the F35 could do half of what is advertised by 2020 this plane which began development in 1996 will be a quarter century old technology. The Russkies and Chinese for whom this plane is the only target can already use cell towers to detect and shoot it down.
The biggest design flaw of the F35 is that it is a flying brick with one engine. This engine has to produce so much thrust it stands little chance of working reliably under normal circumstances and in combat conditions......
The F16 is a single engine plane that is used in Alaska. However the mission is quite differant from Canandian arctic patrol, furthermore a squadron of F22 is always available.
For Canada to use a single engine plane to patrol the arctic defies logic. The F35 should have been a non starter from the start. Of all the stupid things Peter Mackay ever said " the engines will never fail" goes right up there with nuclear reactors having the same infallibility.
Had the Conservative won the last election Canada would be flying the F35 into a perilous future and the cost would have destroyed the armed forces inperpetuity. The Liberals have won a huge victory for the Canadian taxpayers and the Canadian armed forces with this decision.
As for the F35 I expect President Trump will axe it just after he shorts Lockheed Martin and goes long on Boeing. The replacement will be called the F-Trump.
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