The headline on Billie Flynn’s blog, said it all: “F-35 in Canada … Finally … Are You F’ing Kidding Me?“.Yes, after about 25 years, Canada finally made a decision on the replacement for the aging F-18 fighter jet..Flynn, a legendary Canadian F-35 test pilot, combat veteran and former squadron commander at CFB Cold Lake, wrote: “The commitment to F-35 represents much more than just picking a new fighter and it is worth taking a pause to appreciate that this saga finally has come to a close.”. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-10.29.10-AMBilly Flynn .“The soap opera out-lived almost anyone ever involved with the program; there are only a few of us still here having survived all the years from beginning to this decision.”.What really matters is that Canada got it right, period, Flynn suggests..“Canadians are always hesitant to be number one; we are so used to compromising and getting something that is not quite ‘ready for prime time.’ “.“Canadian fighter pilots will certainly be sent into combat in the future, and they need a fighter that can survive and kill the enemy.”.“The Ukraine invasion has shown us that highly contested war theatres exist. Civilians now believe what warriors have been telling them for years … that real evil exists.”.With Canada on the verge of signing a $19-billion mega-deal with Lockheed Martin for 88 F-35s — the most advanced fighter jets in the world — the focus now shifts to replace the RCAF’s aging BAE CT-155 Hawks for the future fighter lead-in training program..And, the much talked about replacement for Canada’s Snowbird demonstration team..Yes, my fellow taxpayers, that too is around the corner. And the sooner we deal with it, the sooner we can move forward..But don’t hold your breath..According to BlogBeforeFlight.Net, the Government of Canada launched a $30 million program in 2021 to keep the Snowbirds jets operational for another nine years, postponing procurement of a new platform..A replacement for the Snowbirds could cost up to $1.5 billion, an expense the Liberal Drama Teacher in Office would have difficulty justifying at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is fueling record levels of spending, and having just shelled out billions for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)..Public Services and Procurement Canada also awarded a $26 million single-source contract to L3 Harris to develop a new avionics suite for Tutors, the report said..An additional contract will be signed to install the new equipment, bringing the total cost of the project to $30 million..The modernization of the plane, which entered RCAF service in 1963, will include a variety of new equipment, including electronic flight display systems and navigation and communication equipment..The CT-114 Tutor aircraft have been used by the Snowbirds since 1971. The Tutors were supposed to be retired in 2010, but that date was then extended to 2020. The latest extension allows the aircraft to fly until at least 2030.. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-11.05.28-AMHawk .The Canadian forces is also working on improving the aircraft’s escape system..But despite this latest life extension of the Tutor, Canada needs to once and for all stop burying its head in the sand on military acquisitions..What are the options?.Well, the BAE Hawk trainers have to be replaced eventually, but, they don’t make them anymore. . Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-11.02.51-AMT-7 .Manufacturing has ended at an East Yorkshire military aircraft factory in 2017 after 104 years of production, BBC News reported..BAE Systems in Brough has built aircraft since 1916 but after the final delivery of Hawk jets to Qatar, it turned its focus to engineering..So unless we make an offer to Qatar that it can’t refuse, or, buy used Hawks from somewhere else, that option is off the table..Then there is the Aermacchi M345 Tutor II, Leonardo’s most modern and technologically advanced jet trainer, which participated in the 2019 Saskatchewan Air Show in Moose Jaw.. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-10.28.16-AMAermacchi M345 Tutor II .The M-345 is a small tandem two-seat shoulder-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan. .It has already been selected by the Italian aerobatic team “Frecce Tricolori,” and, according to Leonardo, is ideally suited for Canada’s entire training syllabus, as well as a candidate to represent Canada in the striking livery of the Snowbirds aerobatic team..Next, we have a very strong contender from our American friends — the impressive Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, a single-engine advanced jet trainer with a twin tail, tandem seating, retractable tricycle landing gear and a GE F404 turbofan engine..Developed in partnership with Saab, the T-7 won the United States Air Force T-X program in 2018 to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon pilot training jet, Skies Magazine reported..The Red Hawk was designed using 3D model-based definition and data management systems, Boeing says..“By creating aircraft and systems along a digital thread, we can accelerate build times and increase quality and affordability for our customers in a way that has never been done before,” said Shelley Lavender, Boeing senior vice president of Strike, Surveillance and Mobility..If all that sounds expensive, it is. About US$19.3 million per unit, in fact, but far less than a fifth-generation JSF. It would also be a perfect candidate for the Snowbirds..Another option is the propeller-powered CT-156 Harvard. A bit of a downgrade, yes, but the Harvard II is capable of impressive plus-7G turns, experts say. It is also used by the Israeli Air Force’s acrobatic team. .But going to a prop job, from the dazzling F-18 Hornet may just be a bit too much to swallow for Canadian airshow-goers..Then there is another option, one that is not being talked about much. .The question I posed to retired test pilot Flynn was: in the wake of the F-35 purchase, could the RCAF not shift a dozen F-18s to the Snowbirds, for a temporary fix?.Wouldn’t it be great to see those jets in Snowbird colours?.“I can confidently tell you that seconding the CF-18s to the Snowbirds would and will never ever happen,” said Flynn..“Snowbird replacement is a really hard issue to solve and has haunted Air Force planners for many years, especially when military funding was at its low points.” .“The next jet trainer may bring a solution to this using extra numbers of those jets to fill that Snowbird needs.”.“Prop airplanes will never be acceptable and are not interesting for the military or public. Until a solution is offered that doesn’t involve extreme costs and logistics issues, the RCAF will struggle with the Snowbird path forward.”.In the words of Tolstoy, “What then, must we do?”.Well, for starters we should start shopping now, not 10 years from now when the cost will likely double..Let’s face it, waiting for Canada to complete the procurement of any military article is like waiting for Lazarus to rise from the grave, again. .As Flynn jokingly says, it does not follow a path that anyone can ever rationalize. .But with lunatics like Vlad Putin, and, aggressors like Xi Jinping breathing down our necks in this new Cold War, perhaps it’s time we do the right thing..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .PTacitus27@gmail.com
The headline on Billie Flynn’s blog, said it all: “F-35 in Canada … Finally … Are You F’ing Kidding Me?“.Yes, after about 25 years, Canada finally made a decision on the replacement for the aging F-18 fighter jet..Flynn, a legendary Canadian F-35 test pilot, combat veteran and former squadron commander at CFB Cold Lake, wrote: “The commitment to F-35 represents much more than just picking a new fighter and it is worth taking a pause to appreciate that this saga finally has come to a close.”. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-10.29.10-AMBilly Flynn .“The soap opera out-lived almost anyone ever involved with the program; there are only a few of us still here having survived all the years from beginning to this decision.”.What really matters is that Canada got it right, period, Flynn suggests..“Canadians are always hesitant to be number one; we are so used to compromising and getting something that is not quite ‘ready for prime time.’ “.“Canadian fighter pilots will certainly be sent into combat in the future, and they need a fighter that can survive and kill the enemy.”.“The Ukraine invasion has shown us that highly contested war theatres exist. Civilians now believe what warriors have been telling them for years … that real evil exists.”.With Canada on the verge of signing a $19-billion mega-deal with Lockheed Martin for 88 F-35s — the most advanced fighter jets in the world — the focus now shifts to replace the RCAF’s aging BAE CT-155 Hawks for the future fighter lead-in training program..And, the much talked about replacement for Canada’s Snowbird demonstration team..Yes, my fellow taxpayers, that too is around the corner. And the sooner we deal with it, the sooner we can move forward..But don’t hold your breath..According to BlogBeforeFlight.Net, the Government of Canada launched a $30 million program in 2021 to keep the Snowbirds jets operational for another nine years, postponing procurement of a new platform..A replacement for the Snowbirds could cost up to $1.5 billion, an expense the Liberal Drama Teacher in Office would have difficulty justifying at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is fueling record levels of spending, and having just shelled out billions for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)..Public Services and Procurement Canada also awarded a $26 million single-source contract to L3 Harris to develop a new avionics suite for Tutors, the report said..An additional contract will be signed to install the new equipment, bringing the total cost of the project to $30 million..The modernization of the plane, which entered RCAF service in 1963, will include a variety of new equipment, including electronic flight display systems and navigation and communication equipment..The CT-114 Tutor aircraft have been used by the Snowbirds since 1971. The Tutors were supposed to be retired in 2010, but that date was then extended to 2020. The latest extension allows the aircraft to fly until at least 2030.. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-11.05.28-AMHawk .The Canadian forces is also working on improving the aircraft’s escape system..But despite this latest life extension of the Tutor, Canada needs to once and for all stop burying its head in the sand on military acquisitions..What are the options?.Well, the BAE Hawk trainers have to be replaced eventually, but, they don’t make them anymore. . Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-11.02.51-AMT-7 .Manufacturing has ended at an East Yorkshire military aircraft factory in 2017 after 104 years of production, BBC News reported..BAE Systems in Brough has built aircraft since 1916 but after the final delivery of Hawk jets to Qatar, it turned its focus to engineering..So unless we make an offer to Qatar that it can’t refuse, or, buy used Hawks from somewhere else, that option is off the table..Then there is the Aermacchi M345 Tutor II, Leonardo’s most modern and technologically advanced jet trainer, which participated in the 2019 Saskatchewan Air Show in Moose Jaw.. Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-10.28.16-AMAermacchi M345 Tutor II .The M-345 is a small tandem two-seat shoulder-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan. .It has already been selected by the Italian aerobatic team “Frecce Tricolori,” and, according to Leonardo, is ideally suited for Canada’s entire training syllabus, as well as a candidate to represent Canada in the striking livery of the Snowbirds aerobatic team..Next, we have a very strong contender from our American friends — the impressive Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, a single-engine advanced jet trainer with a twin tail, tandem seating, retractable tricycle landing gear and a GE F404 turbofan engine..Developed in partnership with Saab, the T-7 won the United States Air Force T-X program in 2018 to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon pilot training jet, Skies Magazine reported..The Red Hawk was designed using 3D model-based definition and data management systems, Boeing says..“By creating aircraft and systems along a digital thread, we can accelerate build times and increase quality and affordability for our customers in a way that has never been done before,” said Shelley Lavender, Boeing senior vice president of Strike, Surveillance and Mobility..If all that sounds expensive, it is. About US$19.3 million per unit, in fact, but far less than a fifth-generation JSF. It would also be a perfect candidate for the Snowbirds..Another option is the propeller-powered CT-156 Harvard. A bit of a downgrade, yes, but the Harvard II is capable of impressive plus-7G turns, experts say. It is also used by the Israeli Air Force’s acrobatic team. .But going to a prop job, from the dazzling F-18 Hornet may just be a bit too much to swallow for Canadian airshow-goers..Then there is another option, one that is not being talked about much. .The question I posed to retired test pilot Flynn was: in the wake of the F-35 purchase, could the RCAF not shift a dozen F-18s to the Snowbirds, for a temporary fix?.Wouldn’t it be great to see those jets in Snowbird colours?.“I can confidently tell you that seconding the CF-18s to the Snowbirds would and will never ever happen,” said Flynn..“Snowbird replacement is a really hard issue to solve and has haunted Air Force planners for many years, especially when military funding was at its low points.” .“The next jet trainer may bring a solution to this using extra numbers of those jets to fill that Snowbird needs.”.“Prop airplanes will never be acceptable and are not interesting for the military or public. Until a solution is offered that doesn’t involve extreme costs and logistics issues, the RCAF will struggle with the Snowbird path forward.”.In the words of Tolstoy, “What then, must we do?”.Well, for starters we should start shopping now, not 10 years from now when the cost will likely double..Let’s face it, waiting for Canada to complete the procurement of any military article is like waiting for Lazarus to rise from the grave, again. .As Flynn jokingly says, it does not follow a path that anyone can ever rationalize. .But with lunatics like Vlad Putin, and, aggressors like Xi Jinping breathing down our necks in this new Cold War, perhaps it’s time we do the right thing..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .PTacitus27@gmail.com
