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Canadians... what's going on up there? Gripen vs F-35
I'm a bit of a plane nut so I've been watching the F-35 fighter jet since it was rolled out in 2000.
Let's say I'm not impressed.
On paper it's a marvel. Speed, stealth, horizontal and vertical take off - this plane does it all!
On paper. In real live, I've seen figures of between 30 to 50 percent operational. That means 50 to 70 percent are hanger queens. There's the software updates, the mechanical fixes, the spare parts shortages - the list goes on and on.
Then there's the pilot shortages, the mechanic shortages the worker shortages (and so expensive!).
Let's talk about how expensive the F-35 is. The costs keep going up up up - oh my.
let's revisit that software. Proprietary. Locked down. Inflexible. Expensive.
Cold weather performance? Eh... I don't think they want to talk about that.
The Gripen? Already flying and certified. Built in Sweden for cold weather, short runways, easy maintenance. Can be built in Canada and be ready in 3 years. That means it can be flying with Canadian pilots sooner than the already ordered F-35s can be delivered.
I'm going to chance a historical comparison from World War 2:
The German Tiger Tank was on paper a better tank than the American Sherman*. The Tiger has a better gun, better armor, superior optics. Its gun was designed to kill tanks which it was really good at. In the real world it was tricky to build, guzzled gasoline, broke down frequently and needed intricate and difficult to make spare parts. Field repairs? Unlikely. It also needed highly trained crews to operate.
The American Sherman used less gas and was easy to repair with interchangeable parts. It could be built fast and training was quick. It was designed to move fast, support infantry and blow shit up which it excelled at.
Sure, a Tiger could face down four or five Sherman tanks without a problem. The next day there will be four or five more Sherman tanks with another made from the ruins of the ones from the day before. And they'll be fully loaded and full tanks of gas. The Tiger will be running on fumes.
Logistics matter.
Let's talk environment. On the flat, hard Russian plains the Tiger ruled. in the frozen forests and narrow roads of the Arden... not so much. It was heavy and could get bogged down in the snow or mud. Narrow roads limited its range and mobility. It suffered in the cold. Of course, the whole German offensive relied on seizing the fuel deposits of the Allies. The Allies, with the Undersea pipelines and the Red Ball express had fuel to burn and they did burn it instead of letting it fall into German hands. After the Battle of Bulge Tiger tanks were often found fully intact... and out of fuel.
Logistics matter.
Like the Tiger, the F-35 is the best on paper and in the right environment. After 25 years it's still in development. The Gripen is ready NOW and is designed to work in the Great White North.
And you won't have to bother with old fuss and diapers tRump.
Choose wisely, eh?
*Yes, the early Sherman tanks in North Africa were shit: their ammunition was stored poorly. Changes where made to isolate the ammo and protect it from blowing up: something the Russians still haven't learned..
Let's say I'm not impressed.
On paper it's a marvel. Speed, stealth, horizontal and vertical take off - this plane does it all!
On paper. In real live, I've seen figures of between 30 to 50 percent operational. That means 50 to 70 percent are hanger queens. There's the software updates, the mechanical fixes, the spare parts shortages - the list goes on and on.
Then there's the pilot shortages, the mechanic shortages the worker shortages (and so expensive!).
Let's talk about how expensive the F-35 is. The costs keep going up up up - oh my.
let's revisit that software. Proprietary. Locked down. Inflexible. Expensive.
Cold weather performance? Eh... I don't think they want to talk about that.
The Gripen? Already flying and certified. Built in Sweden for cold weather, short runways, easy maintenance. Can be built in Canada and be ready in 3 years. That means it can be flying with Canadian pilots sooner than the already ordered F-35s can be delivered.
I'm going to chance a historical comparison from World War 2:
The German Tiger Tank was on paper a better tank than the American Sherman*. The Tiger has a better gun, better armor, superior optics. Its gun was designed to kill tanks which it was really good at. In the real world it was tricky to build, guzzled gasoline, broke down frequently and needed intricate and difficult to make spare parts. Field repairs? Unlikely. It also needed highly trained crews to operate.
The American Sherman used less gas and was easy to repair with interchangeable parts. It could be built fast and training was quick. It was designed to move fast, support infantry and blow shit up which it excelled at.
Sure, a Tiger could face down four or five Sherman tanks without a problem. The next day there will be four or five more Sherman tanks with another made from the ruins of the ones from the day before. And they'll be fully loaded and full tanks of gas. The Tiger will be running on fumes.
Logistics matter.
Let's talk environment. On the flat, hard Russian plains the Tiger ruled. in the frozen forests and narrow roads of the Arden... not so much. It was heavy and could get bogged down in the snow or mud. Narrow roads limited its range and mobility. It suffered in the cold. Of course, the whole German offensive relied on seizing the fuel deposits of the Allies. The Allies, with the Undersea pipelines and the Red Ball express had fuel to burn and they did burn it instead of letting it fall into German hands. After the Battle of Bulge Tiger tanks were often found fully intact... and out of fuel.
Logistics matter.
Like the Tiger, the F-35 is the best on paper and in the right environment. After 25 years it's still in development. The Gripen is ready NOW and is designed to work in the Great White North.
And you won't have to bother with old fuss and diapers tRump.
Choose wisely, eh?
*Yes, the early Sherman tanks in North Africa were shit: their ammunition was stored poorly. Changes where made to isolate the ammo and protect it from blowing up: something the Russians still haven't learned..