This line from Wired.com says it all: America’s latest stealth fighter just got heavier, slower and more sluggish. For the second time in a year, the Pentagon has eased the performance requirements of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The reduced specs — including a slower acceleration and turning rate
Continue readingTag: f-35
The Disaffected Lib: About That F-35 Bill
The F-35 programme has been underway for, well, eleven years. Current plans call for completion of testing in 2019. Here’s a sobering look at F-35 development taken from Aviation Week. The U.S. bill for JSF development and production has increased about $40-million a day, in 2012 dollars, since the program
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: F-35 Fiasco Dumped Into Harper’s Lap
The Harper government has tried to scapegoat its way out of the F-35 debacle, blaming bureaucratic bungling, deceit within National Defence, just about any likely target that could deflect responsibility from themselves. Now the recently retired assistance deputy minister of defence materiel has come out swinging. Dan Ross, the former
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Fifth Generation, Maybe, But It’s Still Gen 5.0
Harper DefMin, Peter MacKay, like a trained seal smacking its flippers, constantly barks about the Lockheed F-35 being a “Fifth Generation” fighter and, hence, oh so much superior to all the Gen 4.5-fighters on today’s market. As The Fifth Estate noted in its expose on the stealth light bomber, the
Continue readingLeftist Jab: Best Abbott & Costello Routine of 2012: The F-35 Fighter Jets
The Abbott & Costello routine above is exemplary of the Harper Government’s miscommunication. While the comedy routine is meant to amuse, the Government’s routine on F-35s is meant to obfuscate. How long has this been going on? In one breath, they’ll mention that the F-35 fighter jets were “an initiative that
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The F-35, Should Canada Sit This One Out?
Maybe Canada should just give the F-35 a pass and wait for something a lot better. Like the Aussies and US Navy we could opt for a proven, capable, reliable, affordable alternative, like some new F-18s and sit by while America’s next-generation technology works through its considerable teething problems. It
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Why No Competition?
Lockheed Martin has a number of F-35s built and flying. Surely it’s got more than enough to get a few up to the Cold Lake air base to strut their stuff against the competition. Let’s see how they do in dogfighting, in ground support, in the interceptor role. Let’s see
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Campaign to Rehabilitate the F-35 Has Begun
If you felt relieved that the Harper authority had given up on the F-35, think again. That the stealth light attack bomber is still very much alive in the bosom of the Harpies is obvious from the remarks of MacKay’s parliamentary secretary on CBC’s The Current: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/12/13/fighting-words-over-f-35-fighter-jets/ The first thing
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Will Lockheed Even Compete for Canada’s Fighter Business? Don’t Count on It.
As a face-saving measure the instinctively dishonest Conservatives say they have ‘reset’ the programme to find a CF-18 replacement and, this time, there’ll be a proper competition. Don’t hold your breath. A real competition would have the rivals all flying in to Cold Lake for flight demonstrations and evaluations. That’s
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Harper’s 46-Billion Dollar Boondoggle
The numbers are in and the big number is 46 as in 46-billion dollars to purchase, arm, fuel, fly and maintain a paltry fleet of 65 F-35s over a 42-year lifespan. The KPMG report puts the lie to the Harper/MacKay/Ambrose/Fantino fabrication machine. Yet the number might actually be on the
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: F-35 Jet Fiasco: Harper Conservatives Heavily Monitored Public Perception
Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, Canada is fast becoming a real “surveillance state”. One that obsessively monitors critics of public policy and government action… and the “tone” of what these critics say. The Ottawa Citizen gives us a glimpse into the Harper government’s emerging heart of darkness.
Continue readingTrashy's World: KPMG reports on fighter jet cost over runs…
…are due out as early as today. And they might be embarrassing for the CPC government as the real costs may come in as much as three times higher than the Harperites have claimed and vigourously defended. All to which I say “BAH”! EVERYONE knows that KPMG is part of
Continue readingImpolitical: "Panic all over" on the F-35 at Mr. Harper’s feet
If this is true, that aerospace contractors are suddenly all aflutter given the news out of Ottawa on the F-35, then it’s squarely on the shoulders of Stephen Harper and his government: “‘It’s panic all over’ as Ottawa rethinks F-35 purchase.” Harper and his crew inflamed and sensationalized the jobs
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: Week of Hell #RoboCon
The Conservatives have had a (deservedly) rough week, and it’s about to get more rough next week. The Council of Canadians’ court challenge is Monday. The Prime Minister closed out the final news cycle hour this week by actually taking questions from the press, (which has hardly ever happened before).
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: F-35 Surprising comments from MPs in 2011
The following are rough notes from a TV clip between Liberal Marc Garneau and Conservative Laurie Hawn regarding the now newly cancelled F-35 project due to skyrocketing costs and American pullback from the plane also. – Hawn: “sweet spot of delivery” “confident” “next 40 years” “the Liberals…deliberately misleading the public”
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Sifting Through the Wreckage of Canada’s F-35 Fiasco
The Harper government’s abandonment of the “troubled” F-35 buy has seismic implications. This is the first time Stephen Harper truly lost his mojo. He wanted this hopelessly flawed warplane so bad. It was Canada’s admission ticket to America’s aerial Foreign Legion. It was stepping up to the plate, staring down
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: F-35 May Not Be Usable in Asia Either.
Range may be the Achilles’ Heel of the F-35 stealth light attack bomber. At the end of the day, the Joint Strike Fighter may not be the right warplane for the Pentagon’s Pivot to Asia. A detailed story of the F-35’s troubles and shortcomings was recently published in The New
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Why Spend a Fortune for a "Troubled" Anything?
In news reports it’s common to see the adjective “troubled” used in conjunction with F-35. It may, by common usage, become that warplane’s new name – the “troubled F-35.”The F-35 may fall short on speed, agility, payload, range and just about eve…
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Top General Contradicts Boss, Airshow MacKay
Military bullshitter-in-chief, Elmer’s backward boy, Peter MacKay, got taken to the woodshed by his own, newly-minted Chief of Defence Staff Tom Lawson.In question was MacKay’s outlandish claim that only the “fifth generation F-35” could meet Canada’s …
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Missing First Step
Rona Ambrose has a typically Ambrosian approach to hunting down Canada’s next combat jet to replace the stellar but aging CF-18s.Rona’s gonna chat. She’s going to talk to our allies – the U.S., Australia and Britain. Maybe she wants t…
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