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

[Cloud Cover]

From where and when, precisely, did this mysterious fighter gap arise? What air force document or doctrine, if any, professed a need for any quantity of this particular type of aircraft?  I can see 18 Growlers, but 18 of the E/F models? Not making any sense at all.

 

[OldSolduer]

I'm no expert in the field of air superiority etc, procurement of "stuff", nor strategy, but it seems to me that the PM et al could really care less about fighters and if they could get away with it, they would purchase none at all. After all, "sunny ways" will take care of us and "the budget will balance itself".
Plus given the fact, as one of our esteemed colleagues put it "the Canadian public's support for the CAF is a mile wide and an inch deep". They will meekly listen to the talking heads tell them what to think.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[suffolkowner]

Rumour has it that the government will be looking to lease the SH's. You think it might have been a good idea to have negotiated all this with the USG/Boeing before announcing it?

That ******** guy had posted the hours on all the CF-18, but I was unable to find it elsewhere which might help some with regard to the "gap"

 

[ringo]

18 SH better than nothing, while there in talks with Boeing they should snap up the last unsold C17.
If purchased these SH could be future Snowbird a/c when a 5th gen fighter is in service.
Hopefully the SH will be fitted with conformal fuel tanks.

 

[suffolkowner]

trying this, first time list of cf18 hours

 

[PuckChaser]

What are the headers? First column looks like tail number?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

First column is tail number
Second is location
Third appears to be age
Fourth is airframe hours
Fifth and sixth- not a clue.

Only 51 listed. Perhaps that is the list of the remaining A (single seat) models?

 

[Inspir]

Talking about infra, do our hgrs in CL and Bagot able to support the SH or are we going to need new hgr doors?

 

[suffolkowner]

sorry guys did the best i could
the first is aircraft number ,
second is base,
third is age,
fourth is hours
fifth is hours at retirement and
sixth is date of retirement

 

[suffolkowner]

First column is tail number
Second is location
Third appears to be age
Fourth is airframe hours
Fifth and sixth- not a clue.

Only 51 listed. Perhaps that is the list of the remaining A (single seat) models?

I missed part of the list here's some of the rest, can't seem to capture the rest

 

[PuckChaser]

So to frame that data a little bit, I found some info on life expectancy from the US F/A-18 aircraft:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-18-service-life.htm

Seems like retirement age is around 8,000 hours in the US for A/C models, and 10,000 hours for E/F, but also that is for the carrier borne aircraft from the USN and USMC.

 

[ModlrMike]

So we're replacing the F-18 with the F-18? That makes sense.

 

[jmt18325]

It doesn't say anything about replacements.

 

[MilEME09]

most likely if they do end up going through with this interim buy, which they probably will no matter the cost, they will pick the 18 oldest/most flight hours air frames and side line them for spare parts for the rest of the legacy fleet.

 

[Canuck_Jock]

My bet, we buy 18 super hornets and retire the legacy hornets by 2025 as planned.  No new competition is ever held and we end up with a token force only used for continental commitments effectively becoming NZ of the North.  Well on our way to becoming even more irrelevant than we were before.

Or, we continue to be the NZ of the north, punching well below our weight. This decision is indicative of us as an unserious nation.

I reckon once the SH are here, it is the thin edge of the procurement wedge. SH, a nice update of an older ac, will be our de facto CF-18 replacement.

Meanwhile, the real northern power, Norway, has committed to a F-35 block buy:

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/10/14/norway-may-become-first-country-f-35-block-buy/

 

[MilEME09]

Or, we continue to be the NZ of the north, punching well below our weight. This decision is indicative of us as an unserious nation.

I reckon once the SH are here, it is the thin edge of the procurement wedge. SH, a nice update of an older ac, will be our de facto CF-18 replacement.

Meanwhile, the real northern power, Norway, has committed to a F-35 block buy:

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/10/14/norway-may-become-first-country-f-35-block-buy/

its going to take something dramatic to get the Canadian government to take defense procurement and the military seriously

 

[Halifax Tar]

its going to take something dramatic to get the Canadian government to take defense procurement and the military seriously

Perhaps it will get serious when Trump tells the rest of NATO (Canada) to pony up and pull your weight or business and travel will suffer. 

I really think JT and the Butts team are in for a world of hurt with the Trump presidency.

 

[dimsum]

Glass half full, if we get the growler convertible ones and keep them as EW platforms after we take delivery of F35s in 5 years then it will be a positive development... Only if

As if we'll buy the F model (the one convertible to Growler) - our fighter folks don't like having pesky Navs/WSOs telling them what to do.

 

[SupersonicMax]

As if we'll buy the F model (the one convertible to Growler) - our fighter folks don't like having pesky Navs/WSOs telling them what to do.

Pretty sure the pilot is still the pilot-in-Command.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Pretty sure the pilot is still the pilot-in-Command.

True, who is always in Command of the aircraft and all onboard. There is such a concept as Crew Commander, who is responsible for mission execution and completion.

Not that I want to drive this down a tangent, but, in some parts of the Air Force, it is possible for non-pilots to give a legal order to pilots while airborne and have it carried out without a lot of argument.