conehead

So... would you prefer that Canada not spend any money on fighter/attack aircraft, and focus on other areas?

No, probably not, but I was commenting on your comment regarding their abilities, which surprised me. Anyway; are you of the opinion that the RCAF has no need for fighter/bombers at all?

Not that I agree with dropping bombs on people, but your former colleagues proved pretty good at doing so in the Balkans, and Libya. Might show their skills again in Syria soon, who knows. They are no slouches at both air-to-ground and air-to-air combat. Just sayin'...

Well, I wouldn't buy that Chinese one...

Finally! http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/12/06/michael-den-tandt-conservatives-pull-the-ejector-seat-on-f-35-purchase/

We could. I think NASA laid off something like 20,000 people shortly after Obama came to power and cut their funding.

:checkmark:

F-35 programme investigates $442 billion operations bill http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/22/355896/f-35-programme-investigates-442-billion-operations.html

From Flightglobal;The US military has decided to arm unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) already flying two constant surveillance patrols over Libya. President Barack Obama on 20 April authorized the US Air Force to weaponise two combat air patrols of “Predator” UAVs, says Gen James Cartwright, vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. It was not immediately clear if Cartwright was referring to the MQ-1 Predator or the MQ-9 Reaper – both manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI). “What they will bring that is unique to the -- to the conflict is their ability to get down lower, therefore to be able to get better visibility on particularly targets now that have started to dig themselves in into defensive positions,” Cartwright says. “They're uniquely suited for areas -- urban areas where you can get collateral damage. And so we're trying to manage that collateral damage obviously, but that's the best platform to do that with,” he says. But the USAF was forced to abort the first mission by armed UAVs on 21 April due to bad weather, Cartwright says. Until now, the USAF has not publicized the deployment of two Predator combat air patrols over Libya for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The only UAV acknowledged by the USAF to have participated in the Libyan conflict was the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, flying missions out of Sigonella Air Base, Italy. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters that the Predators involved in the Libya operations are not based physically in Afghanistan, but he did not explain where the Predator flights originated. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 1 April assumed control of Operation Unified Protector to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which authorized force to prevent Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from attacking rebel troops.