Recent content by ytz

Both. Right now only a handful of fairly skilled, mostly instructor pilots have been selected for conversion to the F-35. They need this to be able to help develop training and inform the conversion process in the future. Once we move past IOC new pilots will be pipelined to the F-35 and the...

Sure. But some of them have more IP to get them closer to the destination than the rest.

Saab couldn't build a 5th Gen jet. It's why they built the Super Gripen. They aren't in a 6th gen program. The idea that they'll be a major prime in a completely new 6th Gen program is a stretch I wouldn't want to bet the future of the RCAF on.

Also I've seen some idea that the government and RCAF aren't talking. Nah. FFCP is led by a two leaf for a reason. They are talking to the CRCAF regularly who is talking to the CDS and the Minister and Associate Minister regularly. You can bet they are getting a ton of regular updates in...

The big issue would be the different datalinks. The fighter community did have somewhat of a vision to move to MADL. Beyond that, the big issue has always been that all of the IT systems and good chunk of mission systems and software have to be CANUS certified for NORAD. These costs were...

The entire discussion was never about sovereignty though. Notably, the government hasn't actually said they are considering Gripens because of sovereignty. Joly even asked LockMart to come up with a better offer for jobs. This is about jobs. A lot of the online crowd focused on the...

Sure. But being acclimatized to cold and fighting in the cold are two different things.

Sure. But put it on paper. A lot of talk till now is rather vague promises. And none of it is really based on sixth gen stuff. Saab's actually offers centres around jobs creating by selling us Gripens and Globaleyes.

Fair. I am just deeply suspicious of the assumptions that we're automatically good at Winter and Arctic Warfare just because we exist in a cold country. That's a specific skillset and doctrine that needs to be regularly trained and exercised.

How much winter and Arctic warfare training is really going on in Pet?

The devil, as they say, is in the details. I do think the government has certain strategic intent. I just think they don't have the skill to execute well. In no small part, because defence hasn't been a major economic driver till now, so they don't know how to balance competing priorities...

This straight up sounds like national mythmaking. The Americans have more forces in Alaska alone than the CAF in total. I find this a real stretch.

There's an element of delusion. But also he actually thinks he can win or at least get a ceasefire on favourable terms. And with a friendly American administration and a weak Europe, is he wrong?

The article is good at explaining there's an issue (Integration). Doesn't explain what the issue is. And despite preferring the Panther, I think we should explain why it's harder to integrate other systems. I suspect it's different datalinks. But it could also be various CANUS security...

Exactly the same way that the USMC Hornets they were baselined to would perform.