The RCAF's Next Generation Fighter (CF-188 Replacement)

[Kirkhill]

Ukraine Shoots Down Russian Orlan-10 UAV with Old Yak-52 Training Airc

In a scene reminiscent of World War II aerial battles, a Ukrainian Yak-52 training aircraft reportedly shot down a Russian Orlan-10 drone. On April 27, 202

armyrecognition.com

A-29 Super Tucano Light Attack Aircraft Being Pitched As Drone Hunter

The A-29's chief competitor, the AT-6 Wolverine, is also getting the same treatment as the aerial drone defense market explodes.

www.twz.com

U.S. F-16 Fighters Shot Down Drones with Laser-Guided Rockets in Combat

The U.S. Air Force confirmed that F-16 fightes used Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System 70mm guided rockets in the air-to-air role in combat to shoot

theaviationist.com

Why Tackling Iranian Drones Is A Job For Israel’s Helicopter Gunships

IDF footage shows helicopters shooting down Iranian attack drones. This tactic will be vital as Israel lacks the missile to stop a prolonged drone offensive.

www.forbes.com

...

Apparently not every aerial target needs a 5th generation platform to counter it.

Even the Yanks can't afford F22s eveywhere.

A plan to arm every aircraft, including trainers, would seem to make more sense. And regionally distribute them.

Buy the F35s in necessary numbers.
Buy a SAAB product, Gripen or Redhawk for FFLIT in large numbers and arm them.
Arm the Pilatus trainer.
"Upgrade" Griffon to UH-1Y standard and arm it.
Put SAAB Erieyes on GAA MQ9s

And figure out how to get satellites to do the job of the E7.

The P8 fleet and the MQ9 fkeets need to be pumped up.

 

[Maxman1]

From a set of inputs I added into ChatGPT:

Um, okay? LLMs like ChatGPT are almost completely useless for gathering information because it will make up facts and relies on information inputs that are often wrong. It also can't predict the future.

All an LLM can do is arrange sentences for you.

 

[Maxman1]

The cynicism is warranted given our history, but given who is currently pulling the strings I think there is an optimisic side of this of "This deal happens and Saab is ours"(atleast partially).

Non zero chance that Gripen/Global Eye are simultaneously the opening move and cost of reigniting a domestic arms industry in one swing

Volvo used to build cars in Canada. Now they don't.

Them having a final assembly facility in Canada does not make them a Canadian company, and there is no guarantee they won't close up after the orders end.

 

[IKnowNothing]

Volvo used to build cars in Canada. Now they don't.

Them having a final assembly facility in Canada does not make them a Canadian company, and there is no guarantee they won't close up after the orders end.

Yes, if step 1 is the only step you take that's as far as you go.

Think bigger. Think like a guy who's last job was the vice-chair of an investment firm with a trillion in assets under management

 

[Czech_pivo]

Um, okay? LLMs like ChatGPT are almost completely useless for gathering information because it will make up facts and relies on information inputs that are often wrong. It also can't predict the future.

All an LLM can do is arrange sentences for you.

Well aware of that.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Yes, if step 1 is the only step you take that's as far as you go.

Think bigger.

It’s interesting to read comments on this.

The entire story has yet to come out. Still many variables outstanding.

1) Those are are open to the possible opportunities that lie ahead, even with all the uncertainty and unknowns.

2) Those that are against this straight off the bat.

It’s a bit like 1492 just before Columbus set sail, those believing that he was sailing for certain death and those that thought, maybe, just maybe something better does lie over the horizon.

I’m leaning towards this Saab venture, without knowing all the unknowns that have yet to come out, simply because it can result in the biggest rewards, as well it has the biggest risks.

We have zero knowledge of we already approached the other Euros in entering their programmes and were shot down completely. I would have expected those at Eurofighter or Dassault to have come out with a story this week offering their planes once the Saab story broke if we hadn’t already gone to them. Crickets from them on this.

I still believe that we should be on the hook for 65 F35’s at a minimum and the Golden Dome. Beyond that, the Saab option is intriguing.

 

[ytz]

We are already Bombardier’s bitch…

People say this. But what do we have in the CAF inventory that is Bombardier other than the Challengers and Gonzos?

Honestly, I wish we actually did more with Bombardier as an actual integrator. Look at the US Army building their entire ISR fleet on Globals. We could actually do some of that.

 

[ytz]

Just an observation on the whole 6th Generation Fighter question. These projects are all expected to result in aircraft substantially more expensive than the F-35 (with estimates in the $200-300 million per aircraft price range). How many will any nation be able to afford? Should we be buying into such a program to eat up a giant portion of our defence budget or should we instead be looking to develop the capability to produce hundreds of 5th Generation UAVs in the $50 million price range to overwhelm a handful of manned 6th Generation fighters?

6th Gen is specifically designed to be a family of systems with somewhere between 2:1 to possibly 6:1 ratio of unmanned to manned. So if you're buying 50 manned, that means 100-300 unmanned. The $200-300M is for the manned jets. Presumably, the CCAs come in at $40-70M.

 

[Kirkhill]

Typhoons for Turkey

Starmer signs £8bn deal to supply Turkey with Typhoon fighter jets

The agreement will support thousands of jobs across the UK, the government says.

www.bbc.com

And

Britain says Typhoon will remain backbone of air power

The Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed that the Eurofighter Typhoon will continue to underpin Britain’s combat air capabilities well into the 2040s, bridging the gap until the arrival of the Tempest next-generation fighter.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

But

Production ‘essentially stopped’ for British-built Typhoons

Workers at BAE Systems warn that production has "essentially stopped" at Warton, with no future orders in place. They urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets to secure the UK's sovereign defence capabilities.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

And

MPs hail sale of Typhoons to Turkey – but ask why more aren't being bought for the RAF

Conservative MP Andrew Snowden and Labour MP Andy MacNae say more purchases would boost British jobs – as well as the Royal Air Force

www.forcesnews.com

.....

There seems to be a shortage of good quality production lines we can access. Everybody seems to be on to the next big thing. (5th Generation entered the lexicon in the 1990s, over 30 years ago when the F18 was only 15 years old).

But nobody seems quite sure wahat the next big thing is going to look like. There's a war on, donchano?

 

[YZT580]

From a set of inputs I added into ChatGPT:

Yes — if Canada selects Hanwha’s submarine design (likely the KSS-III variant or a customized Canadian AIP/SSK design), it further increases the odds of a Canada–South Korea–Sweden 6th-generation fighter partnership.

This would be a major geopolitical and industrial shift, and it strengthens the triangle in several ways.

Below is a clear, realistic breakdown.



1. Choosing Hanwha submarines would dramatically deepen Canada–Korea defense ties

May I add one thing to your list: Training facilities. We have lots of land where armies can train. We have airport facilities that would provide unlimited training for Korea which is limited in space.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Magna and Bombardier?

CAE and BlackBerry

 

[Kirkhill]

Further to the issue of joining another program

Germany Gives Up on FCAS Joint Fighter, Turns to Battle Cloud of European Combat Drones | Defense Express

Germany shifts FCAS vision from joint project to unified European cloud infrastructure for current jets and future UAVs

en.defence-ua.com

Airbus, Kratos pitch unmanned Valkyrie for German air force use

Airbus Defence & Space and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions have joined up to pitch an operational collaborative combat aircraft for use by the German air force before the end of this decade.

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Czech_pivo]

Typhoons for Turkey

Starmer signs £8bn deal to supply Turkey with Typhoon fighter jets

The agreement will support thousands of jobs across the UK, the government says.

www.bbc.com

And

Britain says Typhoon will remain backbone of air power

The Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed that the Eurofighter Typhoon will continue to underpin Britain’s combat air capabilities well into the 2040s, bridging the gap until the arrival of the Tempest next-generation fighter.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

But

Production ‘essentially stopped’ for British-built Typhoons

Workers at BAE Systems warn that production has "essentially stopped" at Warton, with no future orders in place. They urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets to secure the UK's sovereign defence capabilities.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

And

MPs hail sale of Typhoons to Turkey – but ask why more aren't being bought for the RAF

Conservative MP Andrew Snowden and Labour MP Andy MacNae say more purchases would boost British jobs – as well as the Royal Air Force

www.forcesnews.com

.....

There seems to be a shortage of good quality production lines we can access. Everybody seems to be on to the next big thing. (5th Generation entered the lexicon in the 1990s, over 30 years ago when the F18 was only 15 years old).

But nobody seems quite sure wahat the next big thing is going to look like. There's a war on, donchano?

They are on to the next big thing, but what’s going to be built on those production lines from now until 8-12 years out until those next big things coming bearing fruit?

 

[Czech_pivo]

Further to the issue of joining another program

Germany Gives Up on FCAS Joint Fighter, Turns to Battle Cloud of European Combat Drones | Defense Express

Germany shifts FCAS vision from joint project to unified European cloud infrastructure for current jets and future UAVs

en.defence-ua.com

Airbus, Kratos pitch unmanned Valkyrie for German air force use

Airbus Defence & Space and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions have joined up to pitch an operational collaborative combat aircraft for use by the German air force before the end of this decade.

www.flightglobal.com

Interesting that it says Germany may be teaming with Sweden.

 

[Kirkhill]

They are on to the next big thing, but what’s going to be built on those production lines from now until 8-12 years out until those next big things coming bearing fruit?

At a guess, UAVs/UCAVs/CCAs.

 

[Kirkhill]

Interesting that it says Germany may be teaming with Sweden.

Germany has also teamed with Sweden on Taurus.

Updated German Taurus Missiles May Receive Japanese Engines Instead of American Ones - Militarnyi

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is negotiating with MBDA to develop high-performance engines for Taurus cruise missiles.

militarnyi.com

TAURUS KEPD 350 | Saab

Our advanced TAURUS KEPD 350 is an incomparable modular stand-off missile system.

www.saab.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Canada's Clever Trick Turn Cheap Target Drone Into Mach 1.6 Combat UAV and Raytheon Invested | Defense Express

Falcon UAV already has Raytheon investment, now promoted in Europe as cheap solution since it was created as target drone

en.defence-ua.com

 

[Kirkhill]

One other thing that alignment with Sweden through SAAB would bring is a tie in to Swedish metallurgy.

 

[Czech_pivo]

One other thing that alignment with Sweden through SAAB would bring is a tie in to Swedish metallurgy.

Canadian aluminum from Quebec and refined nickel from Ontario and soon to be Tungsten from New Brunswick - all the things Saab will need.