The problem the government faces now is this: If it has a plan B, it has not been very clear about what that is, and what its costs and benefits are. Indeed, Defence Minister Peter MacKay has warned that “cancelling the contract now could result in an operational gap, where if, around the year 2017-’18 when we’re starting to take delivery of the F-35, our F-18s are going to be taken out of use.”
As I have mentioned back in November, the F-35 is disqualified as a CF-18 replacement. The F-35 program will be lucky to have a go-to-war aircraft ready by the early 2020's.
That will be the next error for the Canadian government to acknowledge.
2 comments:
What a nice pickle we have ourselves in.
When we had the time to explore the options, we sat on our hands parroting the LM spin, laid out no formal requirements, and no strategic airpower plan. Now we're up against it, with supposedly $9B to spend, but don't really know what we can buy with it.
Even if our politicos wake up tomorrow, we may still have a problem getting alternative replacement aircraft as those assembly lines may not be able to build the aircraft in time.
Also...
The 2012 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada is expected to be tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 3.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_fs_e_29401.html
I'm sure the report will not be pretty.
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