HomeFighter Jets
+51
Armoured
Kizzer
Thunder
Falcon
Braven
Jumper
Dalton
RazzorSharp))
Logan
Wolfman
Firestrike
Jeremiah
Wolverine
Sandman
kodiak
Cypher
Jackal
Proctor
Cooper
Marshall
Delta
Mojave
Charlie
RevForce
Stanleyz
Phrampton
Diesel
Viper
Apollo
Alpha
Stealth
Scorpion
Ironman
Hammercore
Powergunner
Saulman
Rockarm
Zoneforce
Lonestar
Jackson
Lincoln
JAFO
SniperGod
Vizzer
Victor
Silversun
Trooper
RunningLight
Accer
Spider
Forcell
55 posters
Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7 • 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Re: Fighter Jets
by Armoured Mon 09 Jan 2023, 7:18 am
Government to announce F-35 deal Monday — Trudeau had said stealth fighter didn’t work and wasn’t needed
The government stated Sunday that Defence Minister Anita Anand will make the announcement regarding the Future Fighter Capability Project.
David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 08, 2023
The Liberal government will announce Monday its plan to spend billions of dollars to buy the F-35 stealth fighter, an aircraft Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once said wasn’t needed and didn’t work.
The government stated Sunday that Defence Minister Anita Anand will make the announcement regarding the Future Fighter Capability Project on behalf of the departments of National Defence, Public Services and Procurement, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
The Liberal government had already leaked its decision in December to authorize spending $7 billion for the first batch of 16 U.S.-built F-35s.
The Liberals eventually plan to buy 88 of the jets. The government had originally estimated the project would cost between $15 billion and $19 billion. But critics of the deal say the price tag will go even higher and that the full lifecycle cost for the planes is estimated at $77 billion.
The Conservative government had previously selected the F-35 as the air force’s new jet, but backed away from that plan after concerns about the technology and growing cost.
During the 2015 election campaign, Justin Trudeau vowed that his government would never purchase the F-35.
As prime minster, Trudeau continued to point out the Canadian military had no need for the F-35. “Canadians know full well that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the boat when it came to delivering to Canadians and their armed forces the equipment they needed,” Trudeau said in June 2016. “They clung to an aircraft (the F-35) that does not work and is far from working.”
The Liberals also noted the F-35’s “stealth first-strike capability” was not needed to defend Canada.
But the Liberal government backed away from its promise and last year announced the aircraft would be Canada’s new fighter jet, and that negotiations with manufacturer Lockheed Martin had begun.
Supporters of the F-35 say many of Canada’s allies are now flying the same aircraft and the plane represents the latest in technology.
Social justice and peace groups have argued against spending billions on the jets. A series of protests were launched across the country this weekend to denounce the F-35 deal.
Activist Tamara Lorincz has argued the money could be better spent elsewhere to help Canadians. For instance, she has noted that the $19 billion could finance 15 state of the art health-care complexes; or 760 Indigenous wellness centres; or 240 new high schools; or 130 km of light rail transit; or 87,842 green affordable housing units.
More than 780 F-35s have already been delivered to the U.S. military and allies, but the stealth fighter is still plagued with technical problems.
In April 2022, the U.S. government watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, reported more delays in operational testing that is needed to be completed so full-rate production of the F-35 can begin. There are still hundreds of problems left to solve on the aircraft, and companies are redesigning and replacing equipment on the planes that have already been delivered. “The more aircraft produced and delivered prior to resolving deficiencies, the greater the likelihood that the program will have to retrofit aircraft, at the expense of the government,” the Government Accountability Office report stated.
U.S. Lt.-Gen. Eric Flick, the F-35 joint program executive officer, has noted that the advanced technology on the plane is very expensive and that has contributed to the ongoing issues.
Canada is requiring the first nine fully operational F-35 fighter jets to be delivered no later than 2027, according to federal government documents obtained by this newspaper. The mandatory delivery criteria Lockheed Martin agreed to as part of its winning bid stipulates, “the 9th fully mission capable future fighter platform will be delivered no earlier than 1 December 2025 and no later than 1 December 2027.”
The 88th fully operational aircraft would have to be delivered to Canada no later than Dec. 31, 2031, according to the documents outlining the mandatory requirements for the bid.
Some U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about the high cost to maintain the stealth jets.
In April 2022 hearings, Congressman John Garamendi, the Democrat chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee, highlighted such issues. “We’re not going to buy more (F-35s) until we figure out how to maintain them,” Garamendi said. “It is a fool’s errand. It is a waste of money by the taxpayers.”
Canada is a partner in the F-35 program and has contributed more than $600 million U.S. in funding for the aircraft’s development over the years.
Under the F-35 agreement, partner nations such as Canada are prohibited from imposing requirements for industrial benefits as the work on the fighter jets is determined on the best value basis. Canadian firms compete, and if they are good enough they receive contracts. Canadian firms have earned more than $2 billion in contracts to build F-35 parts, according to Lockheed Martin.
Armoured- Registered User
- Posts : 396
Join date : 2018-01-31
Re: Fighter Jets
by Accer Mon 09 Jan 2023, 1:45 pm
Canada to start receiving first stealth fighters by 2026 - project will cost $70 billion over life of the planes
David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 09, 2023
Canada will buy the U.S. built F-35 stealth fighter in a project that will cost $70 billion over the life of the planes.
Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Monday the purchase of the 88 jets valued at $19 billion. That initial outlay of money includes the aircraft, new infrastructure and some initial maintenance and weapons.
National Defence officials confirmed Monday that the full life cycle cost for the F-35 project will eventually tally $70 billion.
The announcement marks the end of a decade-long process that first saw the Conservative government commit to buying the F-35 and then back away because of increasing costs and technical problems associated with the stealth jet.
During the 2015 election campaign, Justin Trudeau vowed that his government would never purchase the F-35.
As prime minster, Trudeau continued to point out the Canadian military had no need for the F-35. “Canadians know full well that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the boat when it came to delivering to Canadians and their armed forces the equipment they needed,” Trudeau said in June 2016. “They clung to an aircraft (the F-35) that does not work and is far from working.”
The Liberal government also noted the F-35’s “stealth first-strike capability” was not needed to defend Canada.
But on Monday Anand said the F-35 is needed to protect Canada and fulfill its obligations to allies. “This is very good news for the Canadian economy as well as the Canadian Armed Forces,” she said.
Canada will receive its first F-35 stealth fighter in 2026, according to the federal government. Full operational capability of the fighter fleet is expected between 2032 and 2034.
Anand said she has full confidence in Lockheed Martin, the U.S. firm that builds the F-35, to deliver on time. “We trust this provider,” she said. “We believe the aircraft will be delivered on the dates requested by Canada.”
Social justice and peace groups have argued against spending billions on the jets. A series of protests were launched across the country this weekend to denounce the F-35 deal.
Activist Tamara Lorincz has argued the money could be better spent elsewhere to help Canadians. For instance, she has noted that the $19 billion could finance 15 state of the art health-care complexes; or 760 Indigenous wellness centres; or 240 new high schools; or 130 km of light rail transit; or 87,842 green affordable housing units.
More than 780 F-35s have already been delivered to the U.S. military and allies, but the stealth fighter is still plagued with technical problems.
At a Monday technical briefing held by government about the purchase a senior official claimed that the problems dogging the F-35 are “historical.” That, however, isn’t true.
In April 2022, the U.S. government watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, reported more delays in operational testing that is needed to be completed so full-rate production of the F-35 can begin. There are still hundreds of problems left to solve on the aircraft, and companies are redesigning and replacing equipment on the planes that have already been delivered. “The more aircraft produced and delivered prior to resolving deficiencies, the greater the likelihood that the program will have to retrofit aircraft, at the expense of the government,” the Government Accountability Office report stated.
U.S. Lt.-Gen. Eric Flick, the F-35 joint program executive officer, has noted that the advanced technology on the plane is very expensive and that has contributed to the ongoing issues.
“It is a very mature fighter jet now with better performance than it previously had,” Anand said Monday.
Some U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about the high cost to maintain the stealth jets.
In April 2022 hearings, Congressman John Garamendi, the Democrat chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee, highlighted such issues. “We’re not going to buy more (F-35s) until we figure out how to maintain them,” Garamendi said. “It is a fool’s errand. It is a waste of money by the taxpayers.”
Anand said Canada will establish maintenance capabilities of its own at military bases in Bagotville, Que., and Cold Lake, Alta.
Canada is a partner in the F-35 program and has contributed more than $600 million U.S. in funding for the aircraft’s development over the years.
Under the F-35 agreement, partner nations such as Canada are prohibited from imposing requirements for industrial benefits as the work on the fighter jets is determined on the best value basis. Canadian firms compete, and if they are good enough they receive contracts. Canadian firms have earned more than $3 billion in contracts to build F-35 parts, according to the federal government.
Canadian officials have said Lockheed Martin has committed to providing industrial benefits.
Accer- CF Coordinator
- Posts : 461
Join date : 2017-10-07
Re: Fighter Jets
by Lightning Wed 11 Jan 2023, 4:05 pm
Canada and the F-35: What are we buying, and how is it different from last time?
Jan 10. 2023
OTTAWA — After more than a decade of partisan politics and government mismanagement, Canada is buying the F-35 fighter jet. But while the announcement has been welcomed by some, questions remain.
OTTAWA — After more than a decade of partisan politics and government mismanagement, Canada is buying the F-35 fighter jet. But while the announcement has been welcomed by some, questions remain. Here's what you need to know:
What is Canada buying, and why?
Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Monday that Canada will purchase 88 F-35As to replace its 76 CF-18 fighter jets. Canada needs a new fighter jet because the CF-18s, which were built in the 1980s, were supposed to have been already retired. To keep them flying until the F-35 arrives, the government is spending more than $1 billion. The F-35 is expected to field state-of-the-art technology, including advanced sensors and a design that makes it hard for adversaries to detect.
While some activists have questioned the need for a new fighter jet, defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said such aircraft are critical to defending Canada's interests at home and abroad.
"Aside from obligations to our allies, we have an obligation to the Canadian population to defend our own country," he said.
What version of the F-35 is Canada buying?
There are three types of F-35: the F-35A, F-35B and F-35C. The primary difference is the space each requires to take off and land, which also affects how much fuel and weaponry they can carry.
Canada plans to buy the F-35A. It is the most common version and uses normal runways and landing strips. The F-35B can take off from extremely short runways and land vertically. The F-35C is designed to operate on aircraft carriers.
Some Canadians may have seen a video posted on social media last month in which an F-35 flipped over while coming straight down for a landing. That was an F-35B.
"The B model has its own unique systems and controls," said Richard Aboulafia, one of the world's leading F-35 analysts. "It's a very different aircraft compared to the A model.”
What about all the problems with the F-35?
Experts say the F-35 has come a long way since 2010, when Stephen Harper’s Conservative government first announced plans to buy the aircraft without a competition. At that time, there were countless reports about cost overruns, technical problems and whether the F-35 could fight.
However, 17 other countries have decided to buy the plane, including fellow Arctic nations such as the United States, Norway and Denmark. So far, 900 F-35s have been built and delivered.
“The F-35 debate ended a long time ago,” Aboulafia says.
There are nonetheless still some concerns. Officials have said that Canada will be getting the latest version of the F-35 in 2026, known as Block 4. Blocks are a way to categorize rounds of upgrades, which University of Calgary defence analyst Timothy Choi compares to the way computer operating systems are regularly upgraded.
In this case, Block 4 F-35s are expected to include the latest software and hardware capabilities. However, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the equivalent of Canada’s auditor general, said in a report last year that the development of Block 4 has been plagued by problems, and Choi said it’s an open question whether they will be ready by 2026.
“That is a big, giant upgrade for the F-35 that has been in the works over the last decade or so, and it has run into a number of developmental delays and cost overruns,” he said. “That is one of the main causes of concern.”
What about the cost?
Canada is one of eight partners in the development of the F-35, meaning it has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars toward developing the plane. One of the benefits is that the partners pay the same amount per plane — which officials say is currently US$85 million, or about $114 million.
The price has actually come down as more of the jets are built. But there are growing indications the cost per plane could start to climb as a result of inflation, supply chain issues and other factors.
“The cost had been coming steadily down over the last 10 or 15 years,” said Aboulafia. “But inflation seems to be hitting all defence programs.”
He added that exchange rates between the Canadian and American dollar will also be a factor.
Defence officials pegged the full cost of owning and operating 88 F-35s over the next 30 years at around $70 billion. That represents a significant increase over the $45 billion that officials said it would cost to own and operate a fleet of 65 F-35s in 2014, when the Harper government pushed pause on its original plan to buy the planes.
Perry said more planes and higher rates of inflation would account for some of the $25-billion difference. However, he said the Liberal government needs to explain why Canada is paying so much more, particularly given that one of the main criticisms of the Harper government's plan was a lack of transparency over costs.
“The controversy in 2010 largely related to costs and the auditor general and the parliamentary budget officer coming in with different numbers and saying that the full life cycle cost picture hadn't been itemized,” he said.
“And then you have an announcement (on Monday) with much higher numbers. I think parts of that are relatively understandable. But it's pretty curious to me that wasn't actually spelled out.”
What else do we need to know?
There are several other uncertainties about the decision to buy the F-35s. Aboulafia describes the purchase schedule as relatively ambitious, with Canada planning to receive 18 F-35s per year between 2029 and 2032.
“No foreign customer has ever gotten, so far, to 18 per year,” he said.
The government also needs to upgrade Canada’s two fighter jet bases in Cold Lake, Alta., and Bagotville, Que., before the F-35 can operate on Canadian soil. Those upgrades will also include modernizing the military’s information networks, and are supposed to be finished by 2029. Given Canada’s record on military procurement, Choi said he has concerns about the timelines.
As for the economic benefits of the deal, the government says Canadian companies will be able to bid on billions of dollars in contracts associated with building and maintaining the hundreds of jets that will be built and operated over the next few decades.
Perry said the decision to buy the plane does open the door to more opportunities, but that because of the nature of the F-35 partnership with other allies, there is no guarantee of work or economic spinoffs like with other military procurements.
“That whole relationship is really complex,” he said. “We’ll have to watch how that all evolves over time.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2023.
Lightning- Benefits Coordinator
- Posts : 103
Join date : 2017-10-07
Re: Fighter Jets
by OutlawSoldier Tue 24 Jan 2023, 5:28 am
Parliamentary budget officer to examine Liberal government decision to buy F-35
PBO Yves Giroux sent a letter to Defence Minister Anita Anand on Jan. 16 outlining the data he is requesting from her department.
David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 23, 2023
The parliamentary budget officer will examine the Liberal government’s decision to buy the U.S.-built F-35 stealth fighter and has now requested information about the deal from National Defence.
PBO Yves Giroux sent a letter to Defence Minister Anita Anand on Jan. 16 outlining the data he is requesting from her department. “In order to provide the analysis to parliamentarians in a timely manner, I ask the information be provided to my office no later than February 13, 2023,” Giroux noted in his request.
The request includes the financial risk analysis prepared for the aircraft procurement, planned flying hours for the F-35 fleet, details about the projected operating costs, a copy of the agreement signed with the U.S. government to provide the F-35 and an annual summary of what Canada spent on the F-35 development.
Anand announced Jan. 9 the purchase of the 88 jets valued at $19 billion. That figure includes the aircraft, new infrastructure and some initial maintenance and weapons.
National Defence officials also confirmed the full life cycle cost for the F-35 project will eventually tally $70 billion.
The announcement marks the end of a decade-long process that first saw the Conservative government commit to buying the F-35 and then back away because of increasing costs and technical problems associated with the stealth jet.
During the 2015 election campaign, Justin Trudeau vowed his government would never purchase the F-35.
As prime minster, Trudeau continued to point out the Canadian military had no need for the F-35. But the Liberals have not only committed to the purchase but increased the number of jets from the 65 the Conservatives had wanted to buy to 88.
National Defence, in an email to this newspaper stated, “We are currently assessing their (PBO) current request, which has a deadline of 13 February, with a view of providing them with all the requested information.”
“We always welcome their assessments and are happy to cooperate with them in the work they do,” the statement added.
That last claim, however, isn’t true.
In 2010 and 2011, National Defence officials fought PBO efforts to obtain information about the proposed F-35 purchase, withholding key data from the watchdog office. Then-PBO Kevin Page noted it appeared National Defence kept two sets of books on F-35 cost figures, one a low-ball figure for public consumption and another the real costs of the project. Those efforts misled Parliament, he added.
In April 2012, the auditor general of Canada produced a report that revealed National Defence officials kept politicians in the dark about F-35 cost and underestimated the project costs.
Despite the deception, no National Defence or Canadian Forces official was ever disciplined.
But the earlier attempts by National Defence to hide the costs of the F-35 were a public relations blow to the project. After the auditor general’s report was released, the Conservative government put the acquisition on hold.
Analysts with close connections to the Canadian Forces and the defence industry have praised the Liberals’ decision to overturn its election promises and proceed with the purchase of the F-35.
But social justice and peace groups have argued against spending billions on the jets.
Activist Tamara Lorincz has argued the money could be better spent elsewhere to help Canadians. For instance, she has noted the $19 billion could finance 15 state of the art health-care complexes; or 760 Indigenous wellness centres; or 240 new high schools; or 130 km of light rail transit; or 87,842 green affordable housing units.
More than 780 F-35s have already been delivered to the U.S. military and allies, but the stealth fighter is still plagued with technical problems.
At a Jan. 9 technical briefing held by government about the purchase, a senior official claimed that the problems dogging the F-35 are “historical”.
That, however, isn’t true.
In April 2022, the U.S. government watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, reported more delays in operational testing that is needed to be completed so full-rate production of the F-35 can begin. There are still hundreds of problems left to solve on the aircraft, and companies are redesigning and replacing equipment on the planes that have already been delivered, the office reported.
OutlawSoldier- CF Coordinator
- Posts : 221
Join date : 2017-12-16
Re: Fighter Jets
by Covert Tue 14 Feb 2023, 11:34 am
Personnel shortage challenging Air Force's plan to introduce F-35, other equipment
Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
Feb 13. 2023
OTTAWA — A model F-35 sits in a place of prominence on the corner of Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny's desk. The miniature grey aircraft is propped in the air by a plastic stand as if it is flying, and Royal Canadian Air Force markings are visible on its wings.
Displaying such a model inside National Defence Headquarters, let alone on the desk of Canada's Air Force commander, was strictly verboten before the Trudeau government officially committed to buying the plane last month.
With the decision made, Kenny is now able to do more than display a model on his desk. He can also speak openly about the Air Force's plan to transition from its aging CF-18s to the F-35, part of what he describes as a larger leap into a new age for the organization.
"It's an exciting time," he said in an interview. "The F-35 is going to not only bring us into being a fifth-generation Air Force, it's really going to change how the Department of Defence looks at security and data and information, and what we do with that data."
Between plans to buy armed drones, launch satellites and upgrade North America's early warning system, the F-35 is just one of several high-tech additions that Kenny suggests will firmly entrench the Air Force in the 21st century over the next decade.
"The Air Force of 2035 is going to look completely different than the Air Force in 2023," he said. "The amount of projects that are going through right now is similar to what we saw in the late '70s and early '80s."
Yet while Kenny and his staff have developed a carefully choreographed plan to make the transition as seamless as possible without putting the country at risk over the next decade, it isn't without its risks.
That starts with a shortage of personnel.
Like the rest of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Air Force is struggling to recruit and retain enough people to fill its ranks. Kenny revealed the Air Force is short nearly 2,000 full-time members and 500 reservists, at a time when it is supposed to be expanding.
"And we expect the gap to become bigger up until 2025, assuming we achieve our recruitment numbers," he said.
Those personnel shortages are expected to put pressure on the Air Force as it tries to co-ordinate, for example, the training of personnel for the F-35 while having enough pilots, mechanics and other members to continue flying the CF-18 until the transition is completed.
"All this only works if we have people," he said. "So I have to balance the people piece, not only of today, but of the future."
The successful arrival of the first F-35 on Canadian soil by 2029 will also require significant upgrades to the Air Force's aging hangars and maintenance facilities at its main fighter bases in Bagotville, Que., and Cold Lake, Alta., as well as the military's computer networks.
"What we need to do is have enough time to have all the infrastructure in place, the security in place, the (information technology) backbone, so that when the F-35 comes to Canada, we actually have capability," he said.
Plans to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or Norad, which is responsible for guarding the continent against airborne attack, will also require significant investments in sensors and control centres over the next decades — including in the Arctic.
Yet Ottawa's record on military infrastructure is extremely mixed, particularly in the Far North. The Defence Department recently confirmed delays in upgrading and rebuilding two jetties in Esquimalt, B.C., and a new armoury in New Brunswick.
All of that is in addition to constant delays in procuring new military equipment — and problems when that equipment is finally delivered, which the Air Force has seen first-hand with its new Kingfisher search-and-rescue planes and Cyclone helicopters.
The Kingfishers were an example of how a carefully laid plan by the Air Force got derailed by delays, with Kenny having to reassign transport planes and air-to-air refuellers to save Canadians in distress while waiting for the new planes to be ready.
Acknowledging the challenges, Kenny said he will do what he can to ensure a smooth transition for the Air Force into the future — a transition he says is critical as adversaries develop new weapons and flex their muscles in new and worrying ways.
"There's always so much complexity with each of these projects, and there's possibilities that certain things will be later than others and therefore there'll be a ripple effect," he said.
"I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure we deliver as fast as we can. Because if we don't, then I think we're at risk of not being able to meet the future security threats that are coming."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023.
Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
Covert- Registered User
- Posts : 234
Join date : 2019-03-21
Re: Fighter Jets
by Ravenson Thu 02 Nov 2023, 4:51 pm
F-35 fighter jets to cost Canada nearly $74 billion: PBO
First 4 of 88 aircraft to be purchased expected to arrive in 2026
Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Nov 02, 2023
Ravenson- Registered User
- Posts : 219
Join date : 2018-02-14
Page 7 of 7 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Similar topics» Fighter pilot was charged with drunk driving
» Alberta man returns Cold War fighter jet painting to artist veteran
» Detention video shows another purported ISIS fighter saying he's from Canada
» Alberta man returns Cold War fighter jet painting to artist veteran
» Detention video shows another purported ISIS fighter saying he's from Canada
Page 7 of 7
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum|
|
|