Canada Gets Bids For A New Fighter Jet

Boeing

Defense News: These three companies submitted bids for Canada’s fighter competition

WASHINGTON — The bids are in for Canada’s fighter competition, and three companies will go head-to-head for the chance to build 88 new jets.

The Canadian government on Friday confirmed that the field is down to two American entrants — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet — as well as Swedish aerospace manufacturer Saab’s Gripen E. All companies submitted proposals before the July 31 deadline.

The contest is scheduled to be decided in 2022, with the first aircraft delivery projected in 2025. Up to CA$19 billion (U.S. $14 billion) is up for grabs.

“Our government committed to purchasing a full fleet of 88 aircraft to be able to meet our NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] and NATO obligations simultaneously,” Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement. “Efficient and modern fighter jets are an integral part of any air force and we continue to work diligently to make sure that we provide the members of the Royal Canadian Air Force the tools they need to protect Canada, both at home and abroad.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: IMHO this would be the best fighter jet for Canada .... Boeing Shows Super Hornets Bristling With 14 Missiles In Formal Sales Pitch To Canada (Warzone/The Drive).

More News On Canada Getting Bids For A New Fighter Jet

Canada takes bids for F-35s, F/A-18s and Gripens -- Flight Global
Canada receives three bids as fighter-jet competition closes; final deal expected in 2022 -- Globe and Mail
Lockheed Martin, Boeing Set to Square Off in Canadian Fighter Competition -- Motley Fool
Canada Receives Swedish, US Proposals to Replace Aging Fighter Jet Fleet -- Sputnik

Canadian Forces Snowbirds Aerobatic Jet Crashes In British Columbia: 1 Dead, 1 Seriously hurt

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries. We can confirm that we have contacted all primary family members of those involved. More information will be communicated in the near future.

— Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 17, 2020

CBC: 1 dead, 1 injured after Canadian Forces Snowbirds jet crashes in Kamloops, B.C.

'The plane just did a cartwheel and fell right out of the sky,' witness says

One member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team is dead after a Snowbirds jet crashed and burst into flames in the front yard of a house in Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday.

Another member sustained serious injuries in the crash and immediate family members were notified, the Department of National Defence said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: From the above video it looks like the crew ejected too close to the ground.

More News On Today's Canadian Forces Snowbirds Aerobatic Jet Crash In British Columbia

1 dead, 1 injured after Snowbirds plane crashes in Kamloops, B.C. -- CTV News
1 killed after CF Snowbird crashes near Kamloops during B.C. stop of cross-Canada tour -- Global News
Canadian Snowbirds acrobatic jet crashes in residential area -- BBC
Canadian Forces Snowbirds jet crashes, bursts into flames; 1 dead, 1 seriously hurt -- FOX News
One dead after Canadian Snowbirds aircraft crashes into home in British Columbia -- CNN
Canadian air force pilot dies after jet crashes during coronavirus tribute -- NBC
UPDATE: One person dead, another injured, in Snowbird plane crash in Kamloops -- Kamloops Now
Canadian Air Force aerobatic team’s jet crashes into house in British Columbia (VIDEOS) -- RT

Boeing Wants To Sell Its Super Hornets To Canada

Boeing will offer Canada an advanced version of the Super Hornet fighter jet, shown in this company produced graphic

Saltwire/Ottawa Citizen: Boeing pitches guarantee of billions of dollars of work for Canadian firms if its Super Hornet is picked by Canada

U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is pitching its guarantee of billions of dollars of work for Canadian companies as well as keeping aircraft maintenance in country as it tries to convince the Liberal government to select a new version of the Super Hornet fighter jet.

Boeing is hoping that new technology on the Super Hornet and its commitment to place as much as $30 billion of work with Canadian firms will result in it winning the competition to build 88 jets.

The move comes as the NDP and aerospace unions are becoming more vocal about the need for Canada’s fighter jet replacement project to pay major dividends for the economy.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said last week he would be pushing that issue when Parliament returns and he hopes to have a discussion with the Liberal’s new defence minister about how Canadian jobs can be created and sustained by the program.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: IMHO. The Super Hornet is a better fit for the Canadian Air Force than the F-35.

Canada May Be The Next Nation To Buy Lockheed Martin's F-35 Stealth Fighter

A U.S. Air Force F-35A arrives at the Ottawa International Airport on Sept. 4. The warplane is part of a demonstration team that will take part in a local air show. The stealth fighter is one of three contenders in the bid to replace Canada's CF-18s. (Murray Brewster/CBC News)

Michael Peck, National Interest: One Nation May Have No Choice But to Buy the F-35 Stealth Fighter

Canada may simply have no choice. Here's why.

Canada may be the next nation to buy the F-35 stealth fighter.

The F-35’s competitors are dwindling.

In August, Britain’s Ministry of Defense and European manufacturer Airbus withdrew the Eurofighter from Canada’s competition to pick a replacement for its 35-year-old CF-18 fighters. In 2018, France’s Dassault withdrew the Rafale from the contest.

That just leaves three contenders: Lockheed Martin’s F-35, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Swedish manufacturer Saab’s Gripen. The winner is slated to receive a CA$19 billion (U.S. $15 billion) contract for 88 jets in 2022.

David Pugliese, who covers defense for the Ottawa Citizen, has chronicled how the F-35’s competitors have dropped out one by one. In May, Canada’s Department of National Defense changed the procurement rules after the U.S. warned that the F-35 program barred the aircraft from being sold to nations who promised industrial benefits in return for selecting the Lightning II.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Lockheed is doing the hard sell .... The high-speed hard sell: why the F-35 is coming to a Canadian air show (CBC).

Airbus, Boeing Are Signaling That They May Pull Out Of Canada Fighter Jet Bid

A real-size mock of F-35 fighter jet is displayed at Japan International Aerospace Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, November 28, 2018. REUTERS/Tim Kelly/File Photo

Reuters: Exclusive: Airbus, Boeing indicate they may pull out of Canada fighter jet race - sources

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Airbus SE and Boeing Co may pull out of a bidding process to supply Canada with new fighter jets because they say the contest is unfairly tilted toward Lockheed Martin Corp, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said on Monday.

The three companies competing with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet have already complained about the way the contest is being run, and expressed concern some of the specifications clearly favor the U.S. firm, industry sources have said in recent weeks.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is an open secret that the Canadian government and the defense staff want the F-35. It took a while but Boeing and Airbus have finally realized the obvious, The fix is in, and they are just window dressing to give the perception that a serious consultation was undertaken before the decision was made on what fighter jet should Canada choose. It is too bad. I personally believed Boeing's Super Hornet would be ideal for defending Canada's vast regions.

Canada Will Need U.S. Certification When It Purchases Its Next Jet Fighter

Whatever aircraft replaces Canada’s aging CF-18s will need to be able to tap into the U.S.’s most secure intelligence network to help protect North America through NORAD. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TriCity News/Canadian Press: New Canadian fighter jets will need U.S. certification: DND

OTTAWA — American officials will need to certify the fighter jet Canada buys at the end of a multibillion-dollar procurement that's started and stopped and started again for more than a decade, ensuring that it's fit to plug into the U.S.'s highest-security intelligence systems.

But, says the Department of National Defence's top procurement official, they will not get to decide which plane replaces Canadian military's aging CF-18s.

"Ultimately when we select, when we are into the detailed design, at some point, yes, the U.S. will have a role to play in ultimate certification," Patrick Finn, the Defence Department's assistant deputy minister of materiel, told The Canadian Press.

"But the Americans won't be sitting with us with the evaluation and doing that type of work. It will be us."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is what happens when you are heavily dependent on another country for your national defence.

Under Intense U.S. Pressure, Canada Changes Fighter Jet Rules To Allow F-35 Bid

Ottawa Citizen: Canada changes fighter jet rules to allow F-35 bid

The Canadian government will allow a “flexible approach” in determining industrial benefits for the new fighter jet program, making way for Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government to bid on the project.

Suppliers are being informed of the new approach that comes in the wake of a threat from the Trump administration to pull the F-35 from the competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 jets. If Canada insisted that industrial and technological benefits must be linked to the outlay of $19 billion for a new fighter jet fleet then Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth jet was out of the race, the U.S. government noted in letters sent to Canadian procurement officials.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I understand the pressure from Washington on the Canadian government was intense.

More News On Canada Changing The Fighter Jet Rules To Allow F-35 Bid

Feds look to ease requirements for fighter-jet makers after U.S. complaints -- CTV News
Federal government looks to ease requirements for fighter-jet makers after U.S. complaints -- CBC News
After U.S. complaint, Canada to soften rules for jet competition to allow Lockheed Martin bid: source -- Reuters
Canada looks to loosen requirements for fighter-jet makers in competition to replace CF-18s -- Global News/Canadian Press
Canada Caves to US Pressure on F-35, Stands to Lose $14 Bln in Benefits – Report -- Sputnik

Canada's Air Force Is Falling Apart

The change of government will likely see Canada pull out of the F-35 joint Strike Fighter Program, driving up costs for other countries. Above, a Canadian airman has his picture taken beside an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter before the start of a news conference in Ottawa in 2010. Reuters/Chris Wattie

David Axe, National Interest: F-35 or Not: This Country Needs 88 New Fighter Jets Before Its Air Force Falls Apart

Check out the contenders.

Canada for the third time in a decade is trying to replace its aging F/A-18A/B Hornet fighter jets. With every year the acquisition effort drags on, the condition of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fast-jet fleet grows direr.

“The politically-charged competition to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighter jets will rocket forward at the end of May [2019] as the federal government releases a long-anticipated, full-fledged tender call,” Murray Brewster reported for CBC News.

Four companies are vying for the multibillion-dollar contract for as many as 88 fighters that would replace the RCAF’s 1980s-vintage Hornets, which in Canadian service are designated “CF-18.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The process to choose the next fighter jet begins next month .... Canada's fighter jet tender competition (finally) takes off next month (CBC).

Is The Canadian Air Force Obsolete?

Canadian Armed Forces Maintainers, from the Canadian Air Task Force Lithuania, await the pilots to disembark the CF-188's to greet them and prepare the aircraft for the coming mission at Šiauliai, Lithuania, during Operation REASSURANCE, in support of NATO Baltic Air Policing, Block 36 on August 26, 2014. (Photo: Cpl Kenneth Galbraith, CFJIC/Combat Camera)

David Axe, National Interest: Canada's Air Force: Destined to Become Old and Obsolete?

The Canadian air force will get the first two of 25 second-hand F/A-18 Hornet fighters from Australia in 2019, procurement minister Carla Qualtrough reportedly said at a trade show in late December 2018.

The Canadian air force will get the first two of 25 second-hand F/A-18 Hornet fighters from Australia in 2019, procurement minister Carla Qualtrough reportedly said at a trade show in late December 2018.

But it won't help. With or without used Australian Hornets, the Royal Canadian Air Force's fighter fleet fast is becoming irrelevant. Equipment isn't the biggest problem. Manpower is. But inadequate aircraft contribute to the manpower problem.

The RACF acquired 138 F/A-18A/Bs from U.S. manufacturer McDonnell Douglas starting in 1982. In early 2019, 85 of the original "CF-18" Hornets, all more than 30 years old, comprise Canada's entire fighter fleet.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: When your fighter fleet is comprised of 85 planes that are all more than 30 years old .... yes .... your air force is old and obsolete.

Canada's Fighter Force Is In Collapse

An RCAF CF-18A+ in Norway during Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. RCAF

Warzone/The Drive: Canadian Auditors Slam Surplus Aussie Hornet Buy, Describe Fighter Force In Collapse

The watchdog says that buying old jets won't make up for a worrying lack pilots and maintainers to support the jets Canada has now.

Canada’s top parliamentary watchdog has released a scathing report regarding the purchase of second-hand F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets from Australia and broader plans to modernize the country’s air combat capabilities. The core complaints are that the new aircraft will still be obsolete after costly upgrades and that the service doesn’t have the manpower to fly and maintain the CF-18 Hornets it already has in service anyway. This, in turn, means that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will still almost certainly lack the necessary resources to adequately meet its North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commitments simultaneously for years to come.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I would be writing a far more harsher editorial as well as blaming the previous government for this mess .... The Liberals promised new fighter jets. They delivered utter lunacy instead (National Post editorial).

More News On Canada's Air Force

Canadian watchdog sounds alarm over F-18 purchase, military priorities -- Defense News
Military has no documents about fighter jet 'capability gap,' a claim used to justify aircraft purchase -- The Whig/Ottawa Citizen
Pilot shortage threatens Canada’s fleet of fighter jets -- Toronto Star
Canadian air force running short of pilots, jets: watchdog -- Reuters
Canada’s CF-18s miss NORAD pledge due to personnel shortfall -- Flight Global
Canada Air Force Needs Upgrade to Meet NATO, NORAD Commitments - Minister -- Sputnik
Australia’s old jets are not Canada’s first experience with military cast-offs -- Roy Green, Global News

U.S. Approves Canada's Purchase Of Used Australia Fighter Jets

CPL David Cotton—© Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence

Daily Herald Tribune/OttawaCitizen: U.S. approves Canada's purchase of used Australia fighter jets - deal to be completed by end of year

The sign-off from the Americans for the 25-jet purchase was needed because the aircraft were built in the U.S. with U.S. technology

The U.S. government has approved Canada’s purchase of used F-18 fighter jets from Australia, paving the way for the deal to be completed by the end of the year.

The sign-off from the Americans was needed because the aircraft were built in the U.S. with U.S. technology.

Dan Le Bouthillier of the Department of National Defence said Friday negotiations with Australia over the sale of the 25 used fighter jets is on-going.

Read more ....

Update: U.S. OKs Canada's Purchase Of 25 Second-Hand Australian F/A-18 Hornets (The Drive)

WNU Editor: A stop-gap measure for Canada's air force.

Here Are The Entire Inventories Of The Israeli And Canadian Air Forces

The Warzone/The Drive: These Handy Graphics Show The Entire Inventories Of The Israeli And Canadian Air Forces

Being able to visualize an air force's aircraft fleet and how it is organized helps bring perspective as to its strengths and weaknesses.

Aircraft inventories, squadron organization, and basing locations of various air arms around the globe are always of great interest to anyone who keeps an eye on military aviation, and nobody conveys that information better than our good friends at Contemporary Issues Geography. They have mastered the art form of showcasing an air force's order of battle in a single attractive graphic (like here, here, here, here and here). With this in mind, we always like so show off their newest works, and this time around they have come through with new panels depicting the Israeli and Canadian Air Forces.

Read more ....

Canada Is 'Desperately' Looking For Fighter Jets

An RCAF CF-18A+ over Lithuania in 2014. CANADIAN ARMED FORCES

The Warzone/The Drive: Canada Gets Desperate After Trade Dispute Upends Super Hornet Plans

Spat between Bombardier and Boeing has Canadian officials scrounging abroad for second-hand F/A-18s.

As Canada continues to struggle with what to do about its participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, attempts to buy interim replacements for its aging CF-18A+ Hornets have turned into a saga of their own. The country's military is desperately scrounging around for places like Kuwait and Australia for second-hand fighter jets to bolster their existing fleet in the wake of a rhetorically charged trade dispute between Canadian firm Bombardier and Super Hornet maker Boeing.

On Sept. 28, 2017, Canadian Defense Minster Harjit Sajjan revealed that Canada had and might still be considering buying second-hand F/A-18C/D Hornets from Kuwait. Unfortunately, there were serious concerns about whether the two countries could finalize a deal before the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) approximately 65 active CF-18A+s, also known as the CF-188, reached the end of their service life.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The media is being fed different stories on what the Canadian government wants to do ....

Amid spat with Bombardier, Boeing won’t be considered for future fighter jet replacements, Sajjan suggests (The National)
Liberals to consider U.S. Super Hornet offer, despite battle with Boeing (CBC)
Defence Minister: Canada looked at Kuwaiti F-18s but Australian aircraft the ones being considered (Ottawa Citizen)

Canada Threatens To Cancel U.S. Super Hornet Jet Buy If Boeing Continues It's Anti-Dumping Probe Into Canadian Jet Manufacturer Bombardier

Canada had planned to buy 18 Boeing-made Super Hornet jets, like the one shown here, as temporary replacements for its aging fleet of CF-18s. (Mark Wilson/Reuters)

Reuters: Ottawa to review Boeing military bids in Canada after battle with Bombardier

The federal government hinted Thursday that Boeing should not take future military contracts with Canada for granted, a veiled threat that coincided with a spat between the aerospace giant and rival Bombardier.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's comment that it's "reviewing current military procurement that relates to Boeing" appeared to be a not-so-subtle hint that the government would revisit its purchase of Super Hornets.

The government has said it plans to sole-source 18 Super Hornets as a stop-gap measure before running a full competition to replace its aging CF-18 fleet.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Boeing has two choices .... drop the case and save the $2 billion Super Hornet deal. Or .... pursue the case .... U.S. to start probes of Boeing dumping claims against Bombardier jet (Business Insider/Reuters) .... with the very real possibility that Bombardier's civilian aircraft may be priced out resulting in billions of additional sales for Boeing .... and as a bonus .... the elimination of a competitor. My money is on Boeing continuing the case .... they are in it for the long term and they definitely will be the big winners if Bombardier is priced out of the U.S. market .... and as for the lost of the Super Hornet deal .... so be it. On a side note .... Bombardier is based in Montreal where I live .... I know a lot of people who work for the company and I have been more than schooled up on their problems. IMHO Bombardier's aircraft are heavily subsidised .... and Boeing does have a case. I also believe that Boeing's Super Hornet is a better jet for the Canadian airforce .... far cheaper and easier to maintain than the F-35. But the Canadian government is in a political bind. Bombardier is based in Montreal employing directly and indirectly tens of thousands who are extremely well paid. Montreal is also the Liberal party's strongest base of support and the reason why they are the government of today .... failure to do something will result in serious political blow-back from these voters .... and that is something that the government  just cannot afford. My prediction .... making defense decisions based on politics is never a good idea ... but this is what the Canadian government is going to do.

Update: As predicted .... Boeing will try to save the Super Hornet deal but they have no regrets in challenging Bombardier .... Boeing scrambles to save big Canada fighter jet deal: source (Reuters). The ball is now in the hands of the Canadian government.

More News On Canada Threatening To Cancel The U.S. Super Hornet Jet Buy If Boeing Continues It's Anti-Dumping Probe Into Canadian Jet Manufacturer Bombardier

Ottawa reconsiders Boeing purchases amid accusations against Bombardier -- CBC
Canada warns it may cancel US Super Hornet jet buy over probe -- Defense News/AP
Canada threatens to scrap Boeing contracts amid Bombardier pricing row -- Global News/Reuters
Canada Reviews Boeing Contracts After Bombardier Jet Challenge -- Bloomberg
Canada Reviews Potential Boeing Deals After U.S. Opens Probe Into Bombardier Pricing -- WSJ
Canada Warns it May Cancel $2 Billion Super Hornet Buy Over Boeing Probe -- Sputnik
Canada Threatens To Dump Boeing 'Military Equipment' Over US Anti-dumping Probe Into Bombardier -- Defense World
F-35 jets waiting in wings as Liberals’ ‘interim’ Super Hornet purchase in limbo -- National Post
Is Ottawa's Boeing threat 'dishonourable' or 'leverage'?: Two analysts weigh in -- CTV News

Canada To Purchase 18 Boeing Super Hornet Fighter Jets

The federal government announced today it will explore purchase of Boeing F/A 18 E/F fighters (shown) as an interim measure while it plans for *open* bidding to replace the entire CF-18 fleet. Photo Credit: Boeing

CBC: Liberals to buy 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets to fill 'capability gap'

Competition to replace fleet could take up to 5 years

The Liberal government says it will begin the process of buying 18 Boeing Super Hornet jet fighters to meet what it deems to be the urgent needs of the air force, but was unable to say Tuesday when the aircraft will be purchased and how much they will cost.

In addition, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced the Trudeau government will launch a full-fledged replacement program for the entire existing fleet of CF-18s before the end of the end of its term in three or four years.

He promised an "open and transparent competition" to replace the aging fighters — purchased in the 1980s — and said the decision must be guided by the country's defence needs, which are still being formulated.

"The competition for a permanent fleet will be informed by the outcomes of the defence policy review next year," Sajjan said.

Read more ....

More News On Canada Agreeing To Purchase 18 Boeing Super Hornet Fighter Jets

Canada to order 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets -- AFP
Canada says it will buy 18 Super Hornet fighter jets — but the cost of aircraft is unknown -- Windsor Star/Ottawa Citizen
Canada Taps Boeing’s Super Hornets in Fleet Overhaul -- WSJ
Ottawa to purchase 18 new fighter jets, costing more than $10-billion -- Globe and Mail
Boeing’s Super Hornet Gets Boost as Canada Plans to Buy 18 -- Bloomberg
It’s official: Canada’s fighter jet announcement -- Radio Canada International
Canada Buys New F-18s After Canceling Its Order for the F-35 -- Popular Mechanics

Will Canada Become The First Country To Ditch The F-35 Fighter Jet?

Lockheed Martin photo by Jonathan Case

Justin Ling, VICE News: Canada may become the first country to ditch the F-35 fighter jet

If newly-obtained documents are any indication, Canada may become the first country to scrap its order for the American F-35 fighter jet, the most expensive weapons program ever. Letters sent to the big industry players are just further evidence that the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to pull the trigger on a whole new open competition to pick Canada's next generation of fighter jet.

That competition will likely favour an out-of-the-box jet, over the expensive F-35.

Industry sources confirmed that the government set up meetings with big-name players in the aerospace industry in recent weeks to figure out its next steps in buying a new fighter jet — this, even though it's technically already on the hook to buy 65 of the F-35 Lightning II jets, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Probably not .... Did Canada Just Cancel Its Super Hornet Jet Buy From Boeing Because Of Pressure From Lockheed Martin? (July 25, 2016).

Did Canada Just Cancel Its Super Hornet Jet Buy From Boeing Because Of Pressure From Lockheed Martin?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Image from Vanguard

Sputnik: Canada Ditches Super Hornet After Threats to Buy F-35 or Lose 10,000 Jobs

Lockheed Martin pointed an economic weapon of mass disruption at Ottawa and it appears that Justin Trudeau has blinked caving to the defense contractor’s threats.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose to power last fall on a pledge not to purchase the defective F-35, an aircraft that he has said “does not work,” is too expensive, and is wholly incompatible with Canada’s defense needs pushing his country instead to move towards a deal to acquire Boeing’s Super Hornet – a fighter jet with greater air maneuverability allowing it advanced performance in air-to-air combat.

That promise crashed along the shores of political reality this week as Canada reneged from its earlier proposal to acquire Boeing Super Hornet jets on an interim basis to plug the country’s air defense capability gap after Lockheed Martin threatened to pull all of its operations out of the country which would result in a massive layoff of some 10,000 employees and potentially bankrupt portions of Canada’s defense sector that benefits from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I first heard about this last week .... Canada Casts Wide Net in Search for Fighter-Jet Replacements (Defense News). I have a good contact in the Canadian government who is responsible for the F-35 file .... I asked her on what is happening, and she (yes she is a she) did not want to talk to me about it. No news yet on this story from any Canadian media source.

Lockheed Martin Threatens Canada, (Again) If Ottawa Does Not Buy The F-35

The change of government will likely see Canada pull out of the F-35 joint Strike Fighter Program, driving up costs for other countries. Above, a Canadian airman has his picture taken beside an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter before the start of a news conference in Ottawa in 2010. Reuters/Chris Wattie

Flight Global: Lockheed warns of industrial impact if Canada ditches F-35

Lockheed Martin may decide to move the industrial participation that Canada currently benefits from on the F-35 to another programme partner if Ottawa decides against acquiring the Lightning II, the company says.

Canada is an industrial partner on the programme, but is still evaluating which type it will acquire to replace its Boeing CF-18 fleet. As a result, Lockheed is now assessing whether the workshare that Ottawa benefits from could be carried out elsewhere.

Jeff Babione, F-35 programme lead for Lockheed, told media at the Royal International Air Tattoo on 7 July that Lockheed is “actively looking” at alternatives, but is still at the stage of determining where else the work could be carried out.

Read more ....

Update: Lockheed Threatens Canada, Again: Will Cut 10k Jobs if Ottawa Discards F-35 (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: If Canada does not buy the F-35 .... and if other countries cut back their orders .... it will then be impossible for Lockheed Martin to meet this promised goal .... F-35 Unit Cost To Go Below $100 Million, Maker Says (AIN Online). More here .... Pentagon: Cost Of F-35 Jets Will Rise If Canada Pulls Out (October 24, 2015).

The Canadian Air Force Is On The Verge Of 'Falling Apart'

Ricardo Traven, the chief test pilot for the Boeing Super Hornet, sits in the cockpit of the fighter at the Boeing plant in St Louis, Mo. The fighter is one alternative to the F-35.

CBC: CF-18 airframes approaching their age limits as replacement debate rages

Canada's fighter jets running out of airframe life, according to data tabled in Parliament.

Canada's current fleet of CF-18s is rapidly wearing out, according to new figures tabled in Parliament, and there are fresh questions emerging about how well the fighter jets, and other so-called legacy aircraft, will be able to communicate with the new F-35s.

The new data emerged on the same day as the corporate air war over the Trudeau government's fighter replacement program heated up, with one of the principal contenders going on a PR offensive to counter the notion that choosing anything other than the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter would cost Canadian jobs.

Last week Lockheed Martin warned it would pull hundreds of millions of dollars in F-35 related work out of the country unless its jet was selected to replace Canada's CF-18s.

Read more ....

Update: Test pilot makes F-35 pitch (Toronto Sun)

WNU editor: This explains why the Canadian government had to act .... Canada Planning To Buy Super Hornet Fighter Jets Before Making A Final Decision On F-35s (June 7, 2016).

Lockheed Martin Threatens Canada If It Does Not Buy Their F-35

An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on display at naval yard in Maryland in January. (Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

CBC: Lockheed Martin warns it will pull $825M in F-35 contracts if Canada buys another jet

Canadian companies could stand to lose at least $10B over lifetime of aircraft

U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin is warning Canada that $825 million in aerospace industrial contracts signed with Canadian companies to build and equip F-35 jets would be moved to other partner nations if the Trudeau government decides to buy a different fighter jet.

Steve Over, the company's director of F-35 international business development, says other countries that have already committed to buying the stealth jet are clamouring for the work.

"It's not really a threat," Over said in an interview with CBC News. "I don't want it perceived as a threat, but we will have no choice, if Canada walks away from F-35, except to relocate work in Canada to other purchasing nations."​

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am surprised that Lockheed Martin is making this "threat" public. My guess is that they are clearly miffed by this .... Canada Planning To Buy Super Hornet Fighter Jets Before Making A Final Decision On F-35s (June 7, 2016), and (I am speculating here) they are also warning other countries on what may happen if they choose another fighter.