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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
They are from Lots 18 and 19, so definitely TR-3, and also come with the Sidekick mod allowing for 6 internal AIM-120s.
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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.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
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.
The problems he has created won't be gone with his departure.
The US military and Boeing will have invested a lot in the E7. Perhaps Boeing will cut Canada a better deal so they can recoup some lost revenue.
It's not been cancelled AFAIK. Hegseth has talked about cancelling it.
Doubt it if the US bails on the E7. Global Eye seems a better option assuming Canada wants this capability. There are so many needs the CAF require, the bean counters might axe the requirement.