Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Canada To Drop The F-35 Purchase. Will Restart The Competition For A New Fighter Jet

F-35. Lockheed Martin photo

Reuters: Canada Liberals to start fighter competition afresh

Oct 26 Canada's incoming Liberal government intends to completely restart the competition for fighter jets to replace its aging CF-18s, rather than relying on the proposals already made under the outgoing Conservatives, a Liberal source said on Monday.

He said the Liberals, who declared during their successful election campaign that they would not buy Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth fighters, would put out a new "request for proposals," with a redesigned list of what the new planes will be required to do.

"We're going to put together the requirements we have for aircraft," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I don't think we trust the (Conservative) government's requirements."

The Liberals take power on Nov. 4, when the new ministers of defense and public works will be named.

Update #1: Canada might become the first country to pull out of the F-35 program (Business Insider)
Update #2: Canada's F-35 Decision Poised To Shake Up Fighter Jet Market (Defense News)

WNU Editor: My prediction .... the lobbying is going to be intense, but because of F-35 costs and limitations in patrolling the Arctic the Liberal government will not be picking this jet fighter.

5 comments:

jj said...

Maybe Canada should try building their own fighter,like this one .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S74zf0YZX20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UmDYc8s3YY

fazman said...

What about f4 phantoms ex national guard

Buick93 said...

I'm thinking that the US government will strongly consider restarting the F-22 production line. Contrary to some reports, the unique tools and dies were not destroyed when production ended...

Anonymous said...

So Canada is the first country to actually escape buying this ridiculous money-pit? Good for them. Maybe other nations will grow a spine and drop out as well.

Canada is now free to look at EVERYTHING and that should include planes from China and Russia.

opit said...

:) Since we dropped the feckless 'leader' with a hate on for Russia, that might making a Sukhoi purchase, for instance, a bit more acceptable...in Russia !