john53 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Someone said the Canadian airforce is buying E and F Hornets maybe? Would they be new or used? Good choice, I really don't have a lot of faith in the F-35 program.---John Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Well, its far from official, more rumour. However I don't believe the US has a bunch of spare Super Hornets laying around. Would have to guess new build before they shut the production line down. Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Well, its far from official, more rumour. However I don't believe the US has a bunch of spare Super Hornets laying around. Would have to guess new build before they shut the production line down. It has to be a rumour. This new government rejected the F-35 and then insisted that due diligence and proper unbiased investigation be taken in a CF-18 replacment. Sole sourcing like that would be wrong. They wouldn't just lie like that would they? LOL so now Canada is going to sole source the F-18E? Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 I really don't have a lot of faith in the F-35 program.---John It doesn't have a lot of faith in you either. Link to post Share on other sites
martin_sam_2000 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 It has to be a rumour. This new government rejected the F-35 and then insisted that due diligence and proper unbiased investigation be taken in a CF-18 replacment. Sole sourcing like that would be wrong. They wouldn't just lie like that would they? LOL so now Canada is going to sole source the F-18E? they claim it's going to be an "interim measure" and that they will still have an open competition for the F-18 replacement at an undisclosed date sometime in the future... Sean Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 they claim it's going to be an "interim measure" and that they will still have an open competition for the F-18 replacement at an undisclosed date sometime in the future... Sean I'm looking forward to new details but this is really something else... if I am an F-3% partner nation I am demanding F-35 contracts. If I am canada I'm ensuring those nations I'm still buying F-35s Decisions must beget decisions Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 One would have to say that Canada had better decide pretty quickly to either poop or get off the pot if it wants Super Hornets as that ship is loading up, the band is tuning up, and its getting ready to sail away for good and probably sooner then Canada's procurement system will allow. As far as used SH's goes, as another poster already wrote, I doubt there are many of those laying around and any that are are probably close to being clapped out (and honestly, does buying used SH's if any are or do come available really help Canada's aging fighter issues in the long run...in fact one could argue would buying new SH's be in Canada's best interest keeping in mind that they would have to serve a minimum of 30+ years putting them in service well into the 2040's...). Not convinced myself. Just saying, there certainly doesn't seem to be much urgency based on news reports to even research a new fighter let alone actually purchase one. Lots of posturing and can kicking it seems to me. IMHO spending money on rental SH's, if the rumor is true, isn't a solution either, more like a Band-Aid and could just prolong the decision making and procurement process. My two cents. Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk174 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 As far as I know Australia bought F-18E and F and now has Growlers as an interim measure before they receive their F-35s. I think it would be cool now that I can actually build an F-18E in RCAF markings in 2016. Cool beans. Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Have to remember the party running the show is the same bunch that took away the Sea King replacement back in 1990. Still waiting for those to be replaced. The military gets lip service from all 3 parties, but really poor lip service from the Chatelaine cover PM. Just like his Dad who almost killed the military back in the 60s/70/80s, the next party that promised stuff in the 90s the combined group that bought a couple things (Chinooks and Globe Masters but far from enough) to back with what we have now. The legal skirting might get us some Super Hornets, I would guess F models like Australia got. Who knows? maybe a few Gs so we can bring back 414 as a real squadron again. The A models are really getting due for replacement much sooner then the Libs can do a new study and give funding out. Best case (can't see it but it would be nice)......... 410 becomes everything Hornet training squadron. Or reform 416 or 441 to do CF-18F training 409 stays CF-18A until we get CF-35 401 becomes CF-18F 433 stays CF-18A until we get CF-35 425 becomes CF-18F and the biggest long shot, reform 414 on CF-18G. Then reform 410 to do CF-35 training. Link to post Share on other sites
john53 Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 It doesn't have a lot of faith in you either. :woot.gif:/> Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 This is all speculation. I think it's maybe even a trial balloon. I tend to agree with the Phantom; the current government is from the same party that bungled up the Sea King with a political decision. This situation is starting to stink very badly of exactly the same stuff. ALF Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Yet it is the same party that made the horrible decision to purchase an unproven technology plagued system. ..... the CF-18. Not defending Mr. GQ or his dad.... reality is military procurement is a hot political potatoe not one party wants to be stuck with. Problem is finding a balance and fixing the mentality that we have to Canadianize the equipment which is a problem inside DND. Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 USN has a bunch of early block SH's that are out of carrier traps and are in "gently used" condition. They have a special offer running this week only. If a deal can be made, they'll thrown in a tank of gas, a couple of JDAMs and will even armor-all the tires and hang an air freshener from the HUD. Need to hurry, at these crazy prices, they will be selling out crazy faaaast!! Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 USN has a bunch of early block SH's that are out of carrier traps and are in "gently used" condition. They have a special offer running this week only. If a deal can be made, they'll thrown in a tank of gas, a couple of JDAMs and will even armor-all the tires and hang an air freshener from the HUD. Need to hurry, at these crazy prices, they will be selling out crazy faaaast!! Warranty? Do they come with free oil changes...? :lol: Seriously though I hear there's a push to resurrect the mighty Arrow ! Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Lmao.....the USA has their mighty Tweet.....we have the mighty Tutor! Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Yep, Tutor is going near 60 years old soon.........Maybe take the wearing out CF-18As and give those to the Snowbirds. No, I know THAT won't happen. Your out of airframe hours acrobatics might not be to healthy. Link to post Share on other sites
achterkirch Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Here's an arrival at n the subject I found today. Still left wondering how that will all pan out. http://www.combataircraft.net/2016/06/06/canada-eyes-interim-super-hornet/ Link to post Share on other sites
Gordon Shumway Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 (edited) Yep, Tutor is going near 60 years old soon.........Maybe take the wearing out CF-18As and give those to the Snowbirds. No, I know THAT won't happen. Your out of airframe hours acrobatics might not be to healthy. The Snowbirds will not move to a fighter platform. They will fly the CT-114 Tutor until the end of the life of any remaining CT-114's. But I hope that our government does fund a replacement before the CT-114 is worn out. It would be ashamed if the RCAF grounds the Snowbirds in time of airframe end of life for CT-114. But this is Canada and being non-political neither major party seems too interested in funding a CT-114 replacement any time soon. But if/once Canada does it is my hope we give the Snowbirds CT-155 Hawk jets. But I would not be surprised if they go to CT-156 Harvard II. As to our CF-18's well we may look to go a bit like Australia has but for different reasons. Whereas Australia bought F-18E/F/G Super Hornets as a replacement to F-111 and as a stop gap until they go for F-35, Canada may HAVE to go with F-18E/F Super Hornets as a stop gap because we are too freaking slow and bureaucratic to make a damn decision. So buying enough Super Hornets to fill a soon to be reduction in our legacy Hornets while our government decides to go with F-35 as the long term future or add even more Super Hornets or go with another (imo doubtful as it will likely be F-35 or F-18E/F {G}) platform may be a needed thing to do. That said as another posted here adding F-18G Growlers too and re-up 414 sqd would be cool for a Canadian aviation buff. Edited June 7, 2016 by Gordon Shumway Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 (edited) Buying super hornets as an interim made a lot of sense about 10 years ago, now? not so much. Plus Canada has emphasized several times that they don't want a mixed fleet due to high costs. This would do exactly that, and more to the point it would do it with 3 separate fighter types at one point if Canada went with the F-35. And we assume the Super Hornets would be retired last. BTW Growlers quickly run into the billions when you start talking pods and all the extras. An ALQ-99 pod is about 60 million each. This is really not good news, and even if Canada goes with the F-35 its adding a lot of expense. Like Don said if you don't buy an aircraft with the intention of using it for at least 20 years you are throwing money away. We just watched the Danes reject the super hornet outright. Every country (all two) that have bought Super hornets have also bought Growlers, and F-35s to support them. No super Hornet has ever won a fighter competition-- The USN said they were a follow on development and avoided competition, and Australia Sole Sourced them. F-22 Actions over Syria have pretty much verified all the 5th generation "hype" and its the real deal. The cynic would say they are finding a way to "back door" the F-18E/F in despite an awful lot of talk about resisting such shenanigans. And if you want to get really cynical? the interim is not an interim. Edited June 7, 2016 by TaiidanTomcat Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Well I think there have been instances where our forces have had multiple aircraft types..... at one point did we not have the CF-100/CF-101/CF-104/CF-116 and the CF-188 all operational.....although CF-100 was retired before The Hornet came on line. This all happened under T senior. So I can see Junior doing the same. We will have Lightning II the question is when. Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Well I think there have been instances where our forces have had multiple aircraft types..... at one point did we not have the CF-100/CF-101/CF-104/CF-116 and the CF-188 all operational.....although CF-100 was retired before The Hornet came on line. This all happened under T senior. So I can see Junior doing the same. We will have Lightning II the question is when. I am going off of what canadian government has been saying for years now when the subject of mixed types comes up. They want a single type which is why it's just CF-18s now. Because the subject of a mixed fleet comes up pretty often and everytime they say "that gets expensive and we don't want it " Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Only one thing they can do...! !!! Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Only one thing they can do...! !!! Yes^ Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Only one thing they can do...! !!! Ha yeah almost had those but a hostage situation ended that deal.... Link to post Share on other sites
graves_09 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 F-22 Actions over Syria have pretty much verified all the 5th generation "hype" and its the real deal. Proof of what exactly? That 5th gen fighters can operate next to advanced air defense networks when not actively trying to engage aircraft? By that math so can F-18s, F-16s, B-1s etc. What this all boils down to is the same decision we make when we buy ANY technology (phone, computer, car, aircraft), "do I get what is cheap and available now knowing it will be obsolete soon and have to spend more money later, or do I wait and buy something more expensive and save money/have more capability in the long term." I prefer the latter option myself, but each country has its own elected government to make that decision. Based on the recent election results, I'd say the Canadian people prefer the former option. Link to post Share on other sites
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