I cannot fathom how badly the Canadian F-35 review missed the mark on affordability and Arctic readiness. The numbers make the failure painfully clear. To match NATO averages, Canada would need roughly 2,500 aircraft for territorial coverage or 5,000 to cover our coastline. The notion that we are building an effective fighter fleet is little more than a comforting fiction. The fighters planned would not even operate effectively without at least 20 more Forward Operating Locations, and three or four aircraft per site is almost meaningless for real defence.

The RCAF seems captivated by the allure of a new, flashy plane instead of thinking strategically. A far smarter choice would be 250 Saab Gripens. These aircraft avoid the crushing infrastructure and maintenance costs of the F-35, and the

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