tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post4314534014268364877..comments2024-02-07T16:22:39.625-05:00Comments on Jeff Jedras: The Conservative $16 billion fighter jet boondoggleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-29045394248329821182010-07-19T17:18:59.746-04:002010-07-19T17:18:59.746-04:00Mark I agree, I think air superiority is likely to...<i>Mark I agree, I think air superiority is likely to be our primary need</i><br /><br />Then what do you say to our air force pilots who tell of war gaming the F-22 and not even seeing them before they were shot down? Who exactly are you expecting the be "superior" to if our planes are not stealthy? Yes the Brits will run the Typhoon but they will have a front-line stealth fighter. Are you suggesting we shouldn't? Or are you hoping that the Americans will do the dirty work for us again?<br /><br />If so I guess we could buy the Typhoon or the Gripen except that we would be dependent on our European allies for support and parts. How dependable have they been in Afghanistan? And the Gripen is Swedish and the Swedes are neutral. What chance spare parts when we really need them if they suddenly become "neutral" towards us? Should we buy an unproven and speculative Russian plane from the very people who are most likely to be threat to our sovereignty?<br /><br />So yes, we could open tenders, take the usual 10 years to make a decision and hope that our soldiers don't end up dead because we're so concerned about optics, industrial benefits, and other non-military concerns. We could do exactly what Chretien did when he canceled the EH-101. Tell me Geoff, did the Liberal party send their regrets to the families of those who died in Sea Kings while your government waffled? Are you proud of that decision?The Rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00762317244980526077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-6882627761295897822010-07-19T16:02:54.311-04:002010-07-19T16:02:54.311-04:00Interesting points, Mark. I agree on interoperabil...Interesting points, Mark. I agree on interoperability, it's a complete red herring. The Brits also plan to operate both the Lightning and the Typhoon.<br /><br />I also find the "just trust the Air Force" argument uncompelling when the government has no problem over-ruling them to prioritize the C-17 over the C-130J.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-90974595607150352212010-07-19T15:47:52.687-04:002010-07-19T15:47:52.687-04:00A post at Unambiguously Ambidextrous making many s...A post at <i>Unambiguously Ambidextrous</i> making many similar points (from a conservative viewpoint):<br /><br />"Canada’s new fighter, the F-35: <a href="http://unambig.com/canadas-new-jet-fighter-the-f-35-what-the-govenment-isnt-saying/" rel="nofollow">What the government is and isn’t saying</a>"<br /><br />Mark<br />OttawaMark, Ottawahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01193547132937352127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-85025037804596949722010-07-19T10:43:35.164-04:002010-07-19T10:43:35.164-04:00Furter to my post
Democracy cannot be maintained...Furter to my post <br /><br />Democracy cannot be maintained without its foundation: free public opinion and free discussion throughout the nation of all matters affecting the state within the limits set by the criminal code and the common law."<br /><br />-The Supreme Court of Canada, 1938<br /><br />© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenixmariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07878825121729826425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-4017164410773209062010-07-19T10:39:11.794-04:002010-07-19T10:39:11.794-04:00ridenrain: This project was started by Chretien, j...ridenrain: This project was started by Chretien, just like Afghanistan. The Liberals started each of these and now some want to walk away for political reasons. These flip-flops just make the Liberals look foolish<br /><br />Chretien and Martin were defeated and are no longer in power but your brainwashing Harper still is and he has done a good job of creating mindless supporters who can't see past their noses let alone use a little common sense. Accept the facts Bud, Canadians defeated the liberals for their shenanigans and they will do the same for this freaky controlling PM.<br /><br /><br />If its money your talking about with the past liberal Pm’s, they were small fry compared to your run away Harper who has totally lost control of himself and his lame brained idea’s. Surely he must understand that Canadians will not put up with him much longer or ever with him.<br /><br />Canada is in a recession, carrying a huge deficit that all Canadians and yes, even you and your family will have to live with by paying more taxes, less health care, education, social programs and a whole lot less good paying jobs for the thousands who have no jobs because of the economy yet you are to blind and brain drained to even notice.<br /><br /> Try to remember if you possibly can that Chretien and the liberals are not the governing party anymore but your idol Harper is and he is totally out of control with spending Canadians money and I for one can’t wait to see the last of him and his inept government.<br /><br />Quit playing the blaming game because this is 2010, the liberals were defeated in 2005 and your reckless idol Harper is running the show doing a poor job of making sure Canadians are treated fairly right across Canada and not only in cow country and try and understand that Canadains are fed up with him<br /><br />Are you ridenrain so blind that you can’t see or clueless when you are being screwed?mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07878825121729826425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-43019716154082351972010-07-18T13:25:55.659-04:002010-07-18T13:25:55.659-04:00Jeff, you'll know that from the F-5 to the 104...Jeff, you'll know that from the F-5 to the 104 and the 101 to the Bomarcs, Canada has a rich history of getting saddled with the wrong equipment and then writing a mission around what we become stuck with. The F-18, sourced under Trudeau, was a break with that pattern. There's something eerily CF-104 to the F-35 with purchasers seemingly being herded to the "default option."<br /><br />The F-35 project has come to exemplify today's American military/industrial/private warwaging complex - overcost, overdue and short on meeting initial performance requirements.<br /><br />It has considerable strengths and qualities but just how do we foresee exploiting those with a piddling fleet of 65-airframes? What will that inventory support - three squadrons, maybe even less?<br /><br />This would be, all-things to all-men aircraft may present a great many expensive qualities we won't be able to exploit while being deficient in areas we need.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-1817625982949401422010-07-18T06:12:19.694-04:002010-07-18T06:12:19.694-04:00jeff, I agree with your summations.
My guess is t...jeff, I agree with your summations.<br /><br />My guess is that Harper will ultimately bow to the will of parliament but needs to keep "red meat" issues in front of his base and steal some of the limelight from Iggy's tour. The libs have made a simple statement. They will review it if in office and will demand much more committee work and a possible house vote either way <br /><br />Nasty piece of work as usual from these unethical reformatorts.Terencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823536924939709027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-43391737969168532662010-07-17T20:17:06.200-04:002010-07-17T20:17:06.200-04:00No, the F-22 would be the best choice, but we can&...No, the F-22 would be the best choice, but we can't buy that jet... Sadly...Pearcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12927395920503841341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-74000040632301058682010-07-17T18:52:49.474-04:002010-07-17T18:52:49.474-04:00Mark I agree, I think air superiority is likely to...Mark I agree, I think air superiority is likely to be our primary need, and I'm not convinced the F-35 is necessarily the right choice for that mission.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-3583699028767745902010-07-17T18:51:20.862-04:002010-07-17T18:51:20.862-04:00Indeed ridenrain, that editorial by some random ed...Indeed ridenrain, that editorial by some random editorial writer in Saskatoon does really spin away. Unfortunately, it spins badly, and it doesn't change the central facts that you haven't yet bothered to contradict.<br /><br />* No agreement was made by the last government to buy the JSF. The investment was merely to secure investment for our aerospace industry, and to be ahead of the line should we decide to buy following an evaluative process. And, as the article showed, this investment has reaped substantial benefit for Canadian industry, so kudos to the LPC.<br /><br />* The "competition" between Boeing and Lockheed Martin was to meet US requirements, and was decided by the US. <br /><br />* There has been no evaluation of the F-35 versus others on the market when it comes to meeting CANADIAN requirements, which differ from those of the U.S.<br /><br />* By not putting the largest procurement contract in Canadian history to a competitive tender, the Conservatives have no way of knowing if they're getting value for money, if it's really the right plane for our needs.<br /><br />* And the Cons are giving away all leverage to negotiate the best possible deal for Canada, at the best possible price, with the best possible industrial benefits for the Canadian aerospace industry.<br /><br />Those are the facts, and they haven't been spun away.<br /><br />Boondoggle.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-82842926963951628132010-07-17T15:40:44.309-04:002010-07-17T15:40:44.309-04:00http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/golf/Grit+ind...http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/golf/Grit+indignation+contract+disingenuous/3151253/story.html?id=3151253<br /><br />Spin away.ridenrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238308195535796308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-45819201132294027992010-07-17T15:13:47.078-04:002010-07-17T15:13:47.078-04:00Oh, we need interceptors, but these are quite poss...Oh, we need interceptors, but these are quite possibly the wrong ones. Short range (shorter than the CF18), no external fuel tanks, single engine, stealth abilities not really something we need to pay for -- not an ideal choice for a country this large.<br /><br />And, are we buying into a lemon? This over-engineered jet is shiny and new, and doesn't come with much of an operational history. <br /><br />It's likely that all we need is a 4th-generation jet, not a 5th like this one.<br /><br />And, who really thinks that the price tag will be this cheap? Costs will likely climb. Everything about this jet is already horribly over budget.Mark Richard Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16331995640397477486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-16651652894434676562010-07-17T14:01:49.638-04:002010-07-17T14:01:49.638-04:00Did you even read the post you're commenting o...Did you even read the post you're commenting on, ridenrain? Try learning exactly what the involvement was that the previous government had in the JSF, and then come back and try again. It had nothing to do with buying jets, or evaluating for our needs, it was about investment in the aerospace industry. You are wrong.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-28384177323307046172010-07-17T13:59:24.944-04:002010-07-17T13:59:24.944-04:00This project was started by Chretien, just like Af...This project was started by Chretien, just like Afghanistan. The Liberals started each of these and now some want to walk away for political reasons. These flip-flops just make the Liberals look foolish.ridenrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238308195535796308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-66723742092976428442010-07-17T13:40:07.323-04:002010-07-17T13:40:07.323-04:00Ah Ridofbrain. Never a fan of differing opinions o...Ah Ridofbrain. Never a fan of differing opinions of democratic debate, or thinking now that you mention it.Gene Rayburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438068218145410142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-27639982772792933782010-07-17T12:56:44.364-04:002010-07-17T12:56:44.364-04:00It looks like the folks who were hounding the V22 ...It looks like the folks who were hounding the V22 need to find womething else to bitch about.ridenrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238308195535796308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-73070824561791942252010-07-17T12:31:43.829-04:002010-07-17T12:31:43.829-04:00Check out blogger "Impolitical" on this ...Check out blogger "Impolitical" on this subject and a PBS videoRuralSandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09552973218865121867noreply@blogger.com