Not just in Canada.

Can already kicked. Canada is buying second-hand Hornets from Australia "for parts".

I’m intrigued to know how Typhoon is still behind Tornado in air to surface capabilities?

No back seat!

Yes but 20-30 gripens would allow the can to be kicked even further down the road. The 25 ex RAAF hornets of which 7 are for parts gets you down <10 years, 20ish gripens might get you down the road for 10 + years and still be usable after they eventually select the F-35 which we all know they will have to at some stage

Rattman
 

Buying 20 Gripens is not a case of kicking the can down the road. It would effectively be stomping on the can and throwing it on the bin.

Firstly an interim bit of new aircraft would take up all the money that might otherwise be available to buy F35.

Secondly (and it’s the aspect that politicians never seem to appreciate fully) the RCAF simply couldn’t provide the manning to do it.

If you are suggesting that Gripen work alongside the remaining Hornets (which I guess you are because 20 jets could not meet the RCAF taskings) then you would need two fleets of pilots/engineers etc. Unless something has drastically changed in Canada, that just isn’t going to happen.

The purchase of the RAAF jets was to recognise the fact that they could augment the knackered fleet of RCAF jets without making two fleets. Even an interim Super Hornet purchase would have created two fleets.

Anyway, I may be wrong but with the competitors left in the process F35 is the inevitable choice. I just cannot wait to see the kicking that Justin will get in the press and maybe the polls.

BV

Never said it was good plan, its a political plan, you can get the headlines "Canada to by new non american fighter" most of the public wont even bother to read any further, even less will look at the details on what makes it a good or bad plans.

He will get his headlines and photo ops when the first plane is delivered, meanwhile the RCAF get more screwed

rattman
 

I love your blue-sky thinking but I think we’ll agree to disagree on its’ likelihood.

Even Justin would struggle to put a positive spin on that plan.

BV

So plus points about the Gripen:

Gripen serviceability will be better – two conscripts and a screwdriver keep it flying – F-35 not so much.
Its a Saab aircraft so designed to fly from austere places – F-35 I imgine is more limited in places you would want to deploy to.
Gripen will be cheap to own, fly and upgrade – F-35 will be on the other end of the spectrum
Canada’s tankers have hose and drogue – surely no air force would be stupid enough to buy airplanes their tankers can’t refuel?? Oh :)
US units will be queuing up to do DACT with Canadian Gripens - - not so with F-35.
As most of the western world will fly F-35 – if Canada buys Gripen it will bring something different to the mix when they deploy.
Gripen is not American - which my be a big plus for some politicians.

On the flip side – LM use lots of $’s to be persuasive with the right people - Saab dont

TR The chosen RCAF tanker (MRTT) has boom and wing pods-pity we didn’t think ahead!

Thanks - Didn't know the tankers were due to be replaced too.

The perfect plane for Canada is the Rafale F4, all others than the Rafale is just a wast of money.

Kimono
 

Might we infer from your sales pitch that you are French per chance?

BV

It turns out the Rafale isn’t in the running, otherwise I’m sure it would have been a huge success.

So perfect in fact, that Dassault chose to withdraw from the competition at the end of 2018....

You mean Saab don´t until they are caught in the act, like the South Africa and Brazil deals? 😬

……yes I know, BAE had som part in that mess……

It will all come down to politicians trying to make it look like they are making a reasoned decision to buy the aircraft that was previously cancelled.

No HARM/ALARM, no Kormoran/Sea Eagle. Currently the JDAM (GBU-38/54) is not yet fully implemented.

I think we are talking nation specific here. ALARM had all but gone from GR4’s inventory towards the end. Sea Eagle had not been in the inventory for over a decade by the end and GR4 never used JDAM. At the moment, I’m still struggling to see how the UK Typhoon is behind Tornado GR4 (noting GR4 is no longer in service).

I suppose you could argue it has no PW3 or raptor pod?

About the only difference I can think of.