F-22 Raptor's for Canada?
This has probably been done here before, but I'm too lazy to hunt it down.
So let's just try to imagine a way that this could become a possibility.
It would have to involve a serious expression of interest to participate in the ATF project (on Canada's part) during the Mulroney/Reagan political era.
I could see it as realistic that the US might allow Canada into the program, due to the NORAD protocol between our two nations and the ongoing Cold War tensions in the period. The problem would be finding the political will to fund such a procurement, since we had already spent a ton of taxpayers money buying the (then brand new) CF-18 fleet.
To realize such an outcome would require both political willpower and foresight.
How it (the procurement plan) would ever survive through the Chretien era is the real problem.
For the hell of it?
Let's just say that the CAF managed to receive 50-60 Blk30/35 F-22's in the mid 2000's, solely dedicated to the NORAD role.
How different is this from the current fiasco with our fighter fleet?
We would be operating about 4 Sqns of "Classic Hornets" at the moment, solely dedicated to an expeditionary role.
The air frames would have half the hours on them and we would have a sizeable reserve fleet of low time air frames to back them up.
The current "nightmare" is obviated because our guys doing the NORAD gig are still flying "cutting edge " tech.
All we need is a fleet of 50-60 F-35A's to replace the CF-18's for work overseas, and we can wait until well into the 2020+ period if we spend money prudently on upgrades to the CF-18 fleet's offensive capabilities in the interim.
There's no reason that we could not have had a rotation in and out of Mountainview and doubled the lifespan of the CF-18 fleet in such a situation.
Never going to happen...but it's interesting to think about.
This has probably been done here before, but I'm too lazy to hunt it down.
So let's just try to imagine a way that this could become a possibility.
It would have to involve a serious expression of interest to participate in the ATF project (on Canada's part) during the Mulroney/Reagan political era.
I could see it as realistic that the US might allow Canada into the program, due to the NORAD protocol between our two nations and the ongoing Cold War tensions in the period. The problem would be finding the political will to fund such a procurement, since we had already spent a ton of taxpayers money buying the (then brand new) CF-18 fleet.
To realize such an outcome would require both political willpower and foresight.
How it (the procurement plan) would ever survive through the Chretien era is the real problem.
For the hell of it?
Let's just say that the CAF managed to receive 50-60 Blk30/35 F-22's in the mid 2000's, solely dedicated to the NORAD role.
How different is this from the current fiasco with our fighter fleet?
We would be operating about 4 Sqns of "Classic Hornets" at the moment, solely dedicated to an expeditionary role.
The air frames would have half the hours on them and we would have a sizeable reserve fleet of low time air frames to back them up.
The current "nightmare" is obviated because our guys doing the NORAD gig are still flying "cutting edge " tech.
All we need is a fleet of 50-60 F-35A's to replace the CF-18's for work overseas, and we can wait until well into the 2020+ period if we spend money prudently on upgrades to the CF-18 fleet's offensive capabilities in the interim.
There's no reason that we could not have had a rotation in and out of Mountainview and doubled the lifespan of the CF-18 fleet in such a situation.
Never going to happen...but it's interesting to think about.