• nednobbins@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    4 days ago

    Fighter planes are very expensive to develop.

    The F-35 program cost something around $1.7 trillion. That’s several times the annual GDP of Canada. A better bet would be to enter some joint development program with partners in the EU.

    • yes_this_time@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      4 days ago

      That is not several times Canada’s GDP. Maybe you meant many many times Canada’s annual military expenditure.

      Regardless 1.7 trillion Is a lot of money

      • Grimpen@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        4 days ago

        Join GCAP (Global Combat Air Program) or FCAS (Future Coma=bat Air System). They are both multi-country projects to develop next gen fighter jets. Off the top of my head, GCAP is UK, Japan and Italy where FCAS is Germany, France, and… I’d have to look it up, and I’m feeling a bit lazy.

        Assuming there is no schedule slippage, they won’t deliver aircraft until 2035 and 2040 respectively though, so we would still need a stop gap. I’m partial to Gripen, and Sweden has flirted with joing GCAP as well, so that might be a good way to reivigorate Canadian aerospace, in cooperation with the other GCAP countries and Sweden.