The F-35 has been dubbed the ‘Ferrari’ of the skies.
Canada has declined the procurement of the Swedish-built Gripen fighter aircraft, widely held as one of the best pound-for-pound, technically advanced, and affordable aircraft in service today, in favour of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter to replace it’s aging fleet of F-16’s. The price tag for this? A cool $44 billion over the entire life cycle (which includes maintenance and upgrades), according to a recent Auditor General report. In contrast to this figure, Canada spends just over $20 billion a year on maintaining its entire military.
The country has contributed $620 million already in development funding to the program, which has been hampered by long delays and cost overruns. Critics have described the program as a failure and believe the fighter should have never left the drawing board, citing sluggish aerodynamics and a range of only 2,500km as opposed to the Gripen’s 3,500km. Software glitches, pressurization issues, and a main gun that cracks the fuselage when you fire it have all been problems reported with the aircraft, which are said to be either resolved or in the process of a resolution. Cost per flight hour is pegged at $44,000, although Lockheed Martin is working on getting that cost down to $25,000.
Proponents of the program are using Ukraine as an example of what happens when you don’t have stealth capability and BVR (beyond visual range) tactical systems. Russia, long considered as having a world-class air force, is losing many of its multi-million dollar fighter aircraft to relatively inexpensive shoulder-strapped weapons systems like the Stinger missile.
The F-35 comes in many variants, including one that is capable of vertical take-off and landing. Touted as the most advanced, multi-role platform in existence, the jet is designed to be constantly upgradable. Futurists have said that the 5th generation F-35 fighter is likely to be the last or one of the last generations of manned combat aircraft before the U.S. turns toward unmanned platforms.
Canada, it seems, has always balked at expensive purchases aimed at upgrading its military. It is generally true of countries that have had the luxury of prioritizing health care and education. Long enjoying the comfort of being within NORAD’s defense sphere and lying next to the world’s pre-eminent military superpower. Military planners have now sensed a new urgency, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China on the ascendency. Allies like Japan and Australia have already received tranches of the F-35, with the UAE in negotiations to buy 50 of them. It becomes clear that Canada does not want to be outpaced by friend or foe.
