This year, the next development phase (Block4) promised capabilities were trimmed down and new delays were announced. Meanwhile, the last refresh had so much troubles that Lockheed delivered non-combat capable jets for some time (are they meeting all their promises even now??).
So I don’t know if the Gripen is as capable as what the F35 is supposed to be for Canada’s needs, but at least it’s an existing product, tested in real combat, from a reliable maker.
Saab already offered to have them assembled in Canada, and that production site would also build Ukraine’s order.
The F35 is a work in progress and a lot of its awesomeness exists on Powerpoint only. And even if it gets there one day, no one can tell how long you’ll wait, how much it will cost, and not even if it will be relevant by the time, as its furtivity advantage, for example, could be nullified by new radars capabilities.
So on one hand, an expensive solution, that’s true, but you know what you get. On the other, a complete unknown on costs, delays and gap between promised and actual capabilities.
More food for thoughts: when Greece ordered some F35 in addition to its Rafale and F16 fleet, no one in the US admin thought a mixed fleet was too expensive for a country like Greece.
So I will let Canada’s deciders take their time on that one…
This year, the next development phase (Block4) promised capabilities were trimmed down and new delays were announced. Meanwhile, the last refresh had so much troubles that Lockheed delivered non-combat capable jets for some time (are they meeting all their promises even now??).
So I don’t know if the Gripen is as capable as what the F35 is supposed to be for Canada’s needs, but at least it’s an existing product, tested in real combat, from a reliable maker.
Saab already offered to have them assembled in Canada, and that production site would also build Ukraine’s order.
The F35 is a work in progress and a lot of its awesomeness exists on Powerpoint only. And even if it gets there one day, no one can tell how long you’ll wait, how much it will cost, and not even if it will be relevant by the time, as its furtivity advantage, for example, could be nullified by new radars capabilities.
So on one hand, an expensive solution, that’s true, but you know what you get. On the other, a complete unknown on costs, delays and gap between promised and actual capabilities.
More food for thoughts: when Greece ordered some F35 in addition to its Rafale and F16 fleet, no one in the US admin thought a mixed fleet was too expensive for a country like Greece.
So I will let Canada’s deciders take their time on that one…