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

[Remius]

So 10 years to retrain and employ? Seems a bit long.

The costs I get. The timeline I do not.

 

[Kirkhill]

The fact that aerospace is an exceedingly difficult and specialist field to get involved with? Military aerospace with products like modern fighter aircraft are another entire world away from the civilian aerospace industry, there is a reason why so few nations are able to even assemble somebody elses aircraft, let alone built their own indigenous aircraft. Factories aren't just boxes that materials go into and products come out of, automotive workforce/facilities/equipment have little, if anything to do with modern military fighter aircraft production or assembly.

Which makes Sweden's achievements all the more remarkable.

The spectrum of flying things now slides from crewed planes through uncrewed planes to cruise missiles.

Sweden may make a poor crewed plane but they make a plane.
They also make their own cruise missiles, RBS15 and Taurus. Again n they may be poor but they are theirs.
Along with a raft of stuff people seem to want to buy or copy.

I would rather have 100% of my own 80% solution than 0% of someone else's 100% solution. Especially if I have other overlapping options.