(Caption for photo at top of the post: “A portion of Canada’s CF-18 fleet is set to receive a major upgrade as the government plans to enter the final phase of negotiations with bidders for the Future Fighter Capability project. Credit: Erica Seymour/Royal Canadian Air Force”.) Steve Trimble (tweets here) of Aviation Week and Space … Continue reading The RCAF in the Face of the Likely COVID-19 Canadian Budget Crunch
Excerpt from the bottom of p. 8 and the top of p. 9 of a 12-page statement. There is almost no mention of NORAD, no mention of the RCAF, no mention of close cooperation with Canada in the Arctic to defend vs Russians bombers and cruise missiles (even though on p. 1 the first para … Continue reading US Air Force not Exactly Highlighting Cooperation with RCAF in NORAD
Initial cost, after a twelve-year process! Further to this post, New RCAF Fixed-Wing SAR Plane Choice Real Soon? a deal at long-last done (note at end of post additional refueling, transport roles which the government does not mention for some reason): Airbus chosen to build Canada’s new search planes, ending 12-year procurement odyssey 16 Airbus … Continue reading Mark Collins – We Have a Winner! RCAF Fixed-Wing SAR: 16 Airbus C295W for $2.4B
It looks like the Liberal Government cooked up a new operational requirement for RCAF fighters without bothering to consult the Air Force itself. GOOD FLIPPING GRIEF. Did the government even speak with NATO? Further to this post and “Comments”, Now Likely? Canada to Sole-Source Some Super Hornets for RCAF After All? and this article, Liberal … Continue reading Mark Collins – What Stinking RCAF Fighter “Capability Gap” for NORAD and NATO?
Further to these January and February posts respectively, RCAF Fixed-Wing SAR Bids In: No LockMart But Embraer [links to the contending aircraft at the post] New RCAF Fixed-Wing SAR: Evaluation of Bids Starts it looks like we’ll have a winner (this now twelve-year old acquisition process–a “major priority” in 2004!–having been rather lost in the … Continue reading Mark Collins – New RCAF Fixed-Wing SAR Plane Choice Real Soon?
Further to this post, keep your eyes open during my blogging break for a week beginning tomorrow, November 22–whole lot of anonymice being sources: Cabinet could decide fighter jet plan as early as Tuesday [Nov. 22], industry sources say Industry sources expect the Liberal government to decide as early as Tuesday whether to purchase a new fighter … Continue reading Mark Collins – Now Likely? Canada to Sole-Source Some Super Hornets for RCAF After All?
Further to these posts, Cabinet Committee to Take Sting out of Sole-Sourcing RCAF Super Hornets? CF-18 Life Extension? [June] New RCAF Fighter: Consult, Consult, Consult (with industry)–Why Not Just Compete? [July] here we go again, perhaps–things are getting embarrassingly ridiculous as the government twists desperately to distance itself from the F-35, at least for now: Liberals again considering … Continue reading Mark Collins – Canada to Sole-Source Some Super Hornets for RCAF After All?
A Canadian Global Affairs Institute tweet of a pro-F-35 piece: New Policy Update: “Symbolism and the CF-18 Replacement” by Al Stephenson https://t.co/24FtQTxqwv #cdnpoli #cdndef #cdnfp pic.twitter.com/eJNnzYWV0n — Canadian Global Affairs Institute (@CAGlobalAffairs) November 9, 2016 But see from 2014: F-35 and Canada: Good for “Discretionary” Missions, But… …its “capabilities…are not a good fit for Canada’s … Continue reading Mark Collins – RCAF and F-35: New Fighter Requirements, NORAD and Overseas
Further to these posts, Canadian UN Peacekeeping in Mali? RCAF Helicopters? Africa: UN’s CAR MINUSCA Mission to be Canadian Forces’ Schwerpunkt? a Canadian Forces’ operation in Mali is looking ever more likely. Besides CH-147F transport helos will some armed CH-146 Griffons be sent? Though not attack helicopters, they could certainly provide fire support for today’s killer peacekeeping (more … Continue reading Mark Collins – RCAF Chinook Helos for UN Peacekeeping Mali? Canadian Army?
Further to this 2014 story, Canada [Conservative government] to funnel money into upgrades to keep CF-18 fighter jets flying and to this April post, RCAF: Decisions Needed on Extending CF-18 Hornets’ Service to 2025 will a blinking decision finally be made? Canadian military to ask Ottawa to approve up to $500 million in spending for CF-18 … Continue reading Mark Collins – RCAF CF-18 Life Extension: Will Canadian Government Actually Act?
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