Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) News and Discussions

[John Fedup]

GCAP will basically be a big bomb truck, it will have to carry the new MBDA TP-15 and from what I got reading government documents... Air superiority will not be a priority.
To be seen as a sort of new F-111.

Maybe FCAS could be more interesting for Canada, it will be smaller and more focused on air to air.

To be honest, and from someone who always supported autonomy from the US, the F-35 is really the best there is out there...

The F-35 is the only option now. We don’t really know what GCAP or FCAS will actually be capable of. I have more faith in GCAP mainly due to Japan’s involvement. Japan needs GCAP asap. FCAS seems to be a slow motion project albeit information isn’t abundant on this side of the pond.

 

[StingrayOZ]

Realistically Canada likely only has about 40 active Hornets at present so add 25 more F-35s to the 16 already paid for, the RCAF in 2030-33 will be much more capable than it is at present. The planned F-35 order is 88 jets for NORAD and NATO commitments. Forty jets by early 2030-33 and then wait for GCAP.

I wonder how much longer those old ex-AU and origional hornets will last. I would have thought they would have been pretty knackered by even early 2030s.

GCAP will basically be a big bomb truck, it will have to carry the new MBDA TP-15 and from what I got reading government documents... Air superiority will not be a priority.
To be seen as a sort of new F-111.

I don't think it will be quite like that, but it will be a big plane, and air to air will be focused on superior ranged but big munitions cued by superior targeting data from sensors on other platforms.

I think it will compliment F-35s rather than replace them. GCAP are designed for long range strike and long range Air superiority.

The F-35 is the only option now. We don’t really know what GCAP or FCAS will actually be capable of. I have more faith in GCAP mainly due to Japan’s involvement. Japan needs GCAP asap. FCAS seems to be a slow motion project albeit information isn’t abundant on this side of the pond.

Japan is extremely motivated, Britain is also quite motivated industrially as is Italy. Australia has already started informal talks. The Americans are interested, maybe not as a buyer but they are interested maybe more as a munition supplier. Japan has a large economy and a large industrial base. This project is going to get a fair bit of money and airframes thrown at it. Japan also knows exactly what they want and what to benchmark as a platform. I think FCAS is a bit less focused on what it wants and how its going to work. At this stage I don't think Japan cares too much about workshare, its more what ever makes the program progress as quickly as possible.

Not sure if Canada is seriously interested. With so few airframes and deliveries so slow, the Canadian air force isn't really in a position to expand quickly, to take on new platforms in development. These aren't going to be cheap or easy.

 

[seaspear]

Are the f-35s on order block 4 ? can significant spare parts be ordered with this aircraft to avoid shortages ? Is not the supply chain to some degree an international one or can the U.S block spare parts being ordered through the build partnership?

 

[StingrayOZ]

Are the f-35s on order block 4 ? can significant spare parts be ordered with this aircraft to avoid shortages ? Is not the supply chain to some degree an international one or can the U.S block spare parts being ordered through the build partnership?

Anything being delivered or ordered now is TR-3, which is the basis for block IV, with most of the major parts required for block IV upgrade in place.

Spare parts aren't ordered like legacy aircraft. AFAIK countries can't hoard spares, they are ordered as the aircraft requires them.

 

[Sender]

Are the f-35s on order block 4 ? can significant spare parts be ordered with this aircraft to avoid shortages ? Is not the supply chain to some degree an international one or can the U.S block spare parts being ordered through the build partnership?

They are from Lots 18 and 19, so definitely TR-3, and also come with the Sidekick mod allowing for 6 internal AIM-120s.

The arguments to ditch this program are emotional rather than logical. For Canada, the F-35 is the best option, by far, especially given our tight integration with the US in NORAD.

The F-35 Debate | Billie Flynn - My Blog

billieflynn.com

 

[Terran]

They are from Lots 18 and 19, so definitely TR-3, and also come with the Sidekick mod allowing for 6 internal AIM-120s.

The arguments to ditch this program are emotional rather than logical. For Canada, the F-35 is the best option, by far, especially given our tight integration with the US in NORAD.

The F-35 Debate | Billie Flynn - My Blog

billieflynn.com

F35 block IV isn’t just new builds it’s a block upgrade so older TRs can be refit to the modern spec to degrees. Much as how F16V is derived from F16 block 70s.

 

[MARKMILES77]

A new engine to avoid US interference?

Gripen needs a lot more than that I am afraid…

View attachment 52457

SAAB working on ITAR free Gripen with EJ 230 engine replacing the 414.

 

[ADMk2]

SAAB working on ITAR free Gripen with EJ 230 engine replacing the 414.

The engine is one part of it. There is a lot of that aircraft that is not ITAR free as the chart I attached shows.

And reengining an aircraft is not a simple or cheap process. Have a look at the B-52 program if you need further proof.

 

[Vanquish]

Canada needs to stay the course and stick with the F-35 purchase. By the time we actually receive all of them Trump will be long gone.

 

[John Fedup]

Canada needs to stay the course and stick with the F-35 purchase. By the time we actually receive all of them Trump will be long gone.

The problems he has created won't be gone with his departure.

 

[StobieWan]

The F-35 is the only option now. We don’t really know what GCAP or FCAS will actually be capable of. I have more faith in GCAP mainly due to Japan’s involvement. Japan needs GCAP asap. FCAS seems to be a slow motion project albeit information isn’t abundant on this side of the pond.

FCAS has Germany for a partner and that generally has been problematic. Germany caused a fair delay to Typhoon by campaigning for a cheaper option for the engines (using the totally unsuitable Tornado GT's instead of developing the EJ200) and also wanting workshare their industry wasn't set up to deliver. Cracks have already begun to show in that program structure. GCAP should be a more solid affair, the UK has worked with Italy before and Japan, as has been indicated, needs something that works, ASAP. After Trump's "we like to dumb the export version down a bit" comment, I think GCAP is now fairly solid.

On the F35 purchase, I agree with earlier comments about Canada basically having to suck it up and follow through with the remaining purchase.

 

[swerve]

Didn't Germany want a cheaper, already in service, radar?