CF-35

[BEagle]

Canada has recently announced that it will acquire 65 Lockheed-Martin F-35 aircraft to replace the CF-18 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - Next Generation Fighter Capability | National Defence and the Canadian Forces (http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/pri/2/pro-pro/ngfc-eng.asp)

But which version though? F-35B would seem irrelevant for the CF's requirements. The F-35C has a greater combat radius than the A or B and also has a refuelling probe rather than the A's receptacle which isn't compatible with the CC-150 Polaris tanker's drogue system, of course.

Does the F-35A have the option of fitting the probe system from the F-35B and F-35C? I can't see it being more cost-effective to attempt to fit a boom to the CC-150T, so will the 'CF-35' be a bespoke probe-equipped Canadian version of the A model?

[ICBM]

Beags,

Canada has been looking at both A (Conventional) and C (Carrier) variants for a while I believe. While the C model has a probe/drogue it is, for all intents and purposes, a maritime aircraft but it has a low landing speed due to the wing size; again ideal for landing on icy or snowy runways. The ideal combination would be an A model with a probe and also a drag chute (to get their landing distance requirement). Both of these excursion options have been looked at and they are very promising.

Hope that helps.

[TBM-Legend]

Having both boom AND probe systems like the F-105 is the answer. All bases can be covered...

Actually the F-35 is a modern mirror image of the F-105 in terms of mission and wing loading etc....+++of course it benefits from 40+ years of technology advances...

[ICBM]

Having both boom AND probe systems like the F-105 is the answer. All bases can be covered...


Indeed. The excursion would include both refuelling options.

[MarkD]

Being boom capable would be useful if deployed into Alaska (as during F-15 cracking episode) but perhaps rather than add the complexity of two refuelling systems the easier answer is to buy boom 35s and buy A330 tankers with boom and pods instead?

[LowObservable]

The structure where the probe goes on the B/C version is unchanged on the A. It has been deliberately arranged so that putting a probe on the A is not a big deal.

[BEagle]

In which case a probe-equipped CF-35A would seem the obvious choice?

Lucky people, it looks as though it'll be a very nice jet!

[Jordan23]

Its about time we started thinking about something new, I like the CF18's but they are getting pretty old...