I'm still a fan of the Saab Gripen NG. It's faster than the F-35, has a longer range, is fully compatible with all NATO weapons and electronics, Sweden is allowing build operations to proceed out of Bombardier in Montreal, it can take off and land on a 800M highway to conduct repairs, and the same number (65) of Gripens come in at 35% cheaper than the F-35 with 40 years of regular maintenance included.
The fact that we can build and maintain these on Canadian soil is huge. They also fit the mould of what we would need in a Canadian fighter better than the F-35. We have a very large airspace to cover. The only negative seems to be that this is a single engine aircraft. Not a deal breaker.
Worth doing a search on them.
If the government skips over the need for open competition, the only way that I'll be ok with it is if I get some of that sweet Lockheed payoff money.
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