Drones were not yet a factor fifteen years ago when the F-35 development contract was being signed between Lockheed Martin and a dozen governments that were potential buyers.
Canada was one of the parties to that contract. According to the National Post Defense Minister Peter "Pinocchio" MacKay is having second thoughts. We know this because rather than answer questions about Canada's commitment to the F-35, MacKay chose to remain silent, and veteran MacKay watchers know that is a sure sign he is telling the truth.
Other than the fact that it doesn't work, the main problem with the F-35 is it doesn't work. That, and it's also by far the most expensive fighter jet in its class. For the cost of one F-35 a country can buy 100 drones. When you think through what a country needs an air force for, it's hard to see an argument for the F-35.
Spying? Delivering payload (i.e. missiles and bombs, shit to blow people up)? Supporting ground forces? What else do fighter planes do?
Everything a fighter jet can do a drone can do at a fraction of the cost.
Except have dogfights with other fighter jets. That's pretty much all a fighter jet does these days that you can't do with a drone.
But you'd skip right past the dogfight and just shoot down the 150 million dollar F-35 with your 1 million dollar drone.
Furthermore, owing to developments in detection technologies, the F-35 is no longer the "stealth" fighter it was originally conceived to be. Virtually all of the intended buyers have been scaling back or deferring their orders, if not opting out altogether. For Canada, an opt-out would mean waving good-bye to the 300 million plus that has already been contributed to the development program.
But that makes more sense than throwing even more money into a fighter jet whose time has passed.
Technology has changed.
Fighter jets are as obsolete as the trebuchet.
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