F-35 exit strategy: Canada could pay about $313M to pull out of jet program, defence documents show

2 years ago by Avid Amoeba to c/canada

The Liberal government could leave after only 90 days' notice, although it would still need to pay the remaining fees the Conservatives committed to the F-35 program

Linked National Post on purpose. Given their bias I believe they'd present the worst case scenario.

E: Apparently the article is from 2016 so the cost is likely higher today.

NotMyOldRedditName 86 points 2 years ago

Why even pay the cancelation fee?

It's not like anything going on now is legitimate.

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lettruthout 58 points 2 years ago

Or promise to pay but never do, like Trump did for his campaign rally expenses.

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Perhapsjustsniffit 19 points 2 years ago
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CircaV 11 points 2 years ago

Exactly. Canada should just choose to ignore it. Just like the US is ignoring international deals they’ve signed with other countries. Thing is: Canada has honour and our actual signature means something when we sign agreements. I don’t think Canada will sink as low as the US.

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Reannlegge 2 points 2 years ago

I do not think so either but we really should.

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Yoga 45 points 2 years ago
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wise_pancake 7 points 2 years ago

How are they the only ones offering that, that needs to be table stakes to even bid

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WhatAmLemmy 5 points 2 years ago

Because we live in capitalist dictatorships masquerading as freedom™️ and democracy™️

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Auli 1 point 2 years ago

But we assumed it was ok till recently? How was it ever ok?

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RaskolnikovsAxe 44 points 2 years ago

Why bother paying anything? Let it go to court. Threatening annexation should fall under some kind of hostilities clause, national security clause, or force majeure clause. Anyway who's going to collect?

The US government can pay MD Lockheed, they're the ones who threatened annexation.

Edit... Fixed above, not sure why I had MacDonell Douglas on my mind...strange substitution for a company that no longer exists under that name.

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sik0fewl 6 points 2 years ago

Not saying you're wrong, but certainly that would be added to the made-up list of reasons to annex Canada.

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Blue_Morpho 6 points 2 years ago

If it is mentioned, say "We have changed our course and will pay in full." Then don't pay. Wait a week and say "We changed course and won't pay." repeatedly flip flop like a Trump.

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CircaV 42 points 2 years ago

We need to pull out of this deal, the last thing Canada needs is to buy weapons from the country that has designs to annex us. And that sells weapons with kill switches.

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BeardedGingerWonder 10 points 2 years ago

Weapons they need permission to use.

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CircaV 9 points 2 years ago

Exactly. Absolutely it has to be cancelled based on the fact that the imminent danger to Canada is from the US. No way we should be buying their weapons, listening to their media etc.

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SpaceCowboy 7 points 2 years ago

That feels like an internet rumour. How would that even work? Like if someone took out LM's servers all F-35s in the world would no longer function? If an enemy jammed the signal they wouldn't work?

There's no need to invent problems anyway. The US could potentially cut off Canada from parts needed to maintain the planes and that's reason enough to cancel it.

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foggenbooty 1 point 2 years ago

It's not a rumor. I'm sure it's not quite as simple as the internet is making it out to be, but there are systems that the US hosts which are required for full operation.

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Pixel 2 points 2 years ago

The daily unlock code thing is a myth. The grain of truth is that the F-35 relies heavily on mission data files (MDFs), which are region-specific software packages that enable the jet to recognize threats, navigate, and employ weapons, and we depend on the US being willing to supply those updates voluntarily for our fighter jets to be useful.

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Maggoty 2 points 2 years ago

And Canada is perfectly capable of generating those files themselves.

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Maggoty 2 points 2 years ago

It doesn't have a kill switch. It's a computer program that helps the radar and stuff. Right now everyone's program goes to the US for QA before they fly with it. It's purely by agreement, countries are absolutely physically capable of doing this on their own.

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avidamoeba 42 points 2 years ago

Doug Ford spent much more on canceling various contracts on a whim. I say bail.

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FaceDeer 37 points 2 years ago

America is currently at war with us, declared abruptly and out of nowhere. They just decided one day "we want to annex Canada!"

Even if Donald's presidency is short-lived and a new slightly saner and less stupid administration takes control, I don't think it's a good idea to be trusting the Americans any more.

We need to disentangle ourselves from any military dependence on such ridiculously unreliable "allies." I'm all for this.

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pretzelz 10 points 2 years ago

You would imagine there would be a clause in the contract for exactly this scenario. If there's not, it's going to be a common one in contacts going forward...

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PenguinMage 10 points 2 years ago

As an American I sadly agree. This is an overreach that shouldn't be ignored. And if it is OK now it's obviously not off the table sometime down the road... this isnt something g you just shove under the carpet.

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SpaceCowboy 7 points 2 years ago

I think everyone is thinking the same way. I think the probability of the US invading is low, but there is a probability.

Even if the US never uses their military against us, there's a very real chance they withhold parts for military equipment as leverage in a negotiation. They are already withholding military aid from Ukraine as leverage after all. That alone makes it imperative we end Canada's dependency on the US defense industry.

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Reannlegge 2 points 2 years ago

Even if Donald's presidency is short-lived and a new slightly saner and less stupid administration takes control

I know the hamburglar has got his sights on Trump but if he takes his shot during the next 4 years the US gets JD Vance. Vance will be a lot worse than Trump, I do not know how Musk or Teil will handle Vance.

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merc 2 points 2 years ago

Do you mean Thiel?

Vance may be much smarter than Trump (low bar) and have actual plans for evil, vs. doing awful things on a whim. But, JD Vance doesn't have Trump's cult of personality. Whoever comes after Trump will return to the same normal relationship that a president has with their party. With the modern GOP that means intense squabbling and infighting. I doubt a president Vance could get much if his evil plan passed, even if the GOP did still control all the branches of government.

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Aconite 31 points 2 years ago

Fuck it. They're an intelligence hazard and that's cheap in government terms.

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witty_username 30 points 2 years ago

Don't cancel. "Pause" it until further notice

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Yoga 11 points 2 years ago
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chuck 6 points 2 years ago

No say will cancel it and then pause it then cancel the landing gear then pause that then cancel it pause it till it comes back looking like the avro arrow

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Grimpen 26 points 2 years ago

I've been advocating joining GCAP, an effort by Japan, UK and Italy to make a 6th gen fighter. It isn't scheduled to deliver the final design until 2035 though, so we would still need a stopgap.

Still, it would send a pretty strong signal and also allow as a path to reinvigorate our domestic aerospace defence industry.

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merc 3 points 2 years ago

and also allow as a path to reinvigorate our domestic aerospace defence industry.

Avro Arrow centenary edition in 2059.

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SpaceCowboy 2 points 2 years ago

This looks like a good idea. We do have people in Lunenberg, NS that have experience with working with stealth materials which could be a significant contribution to that project.

Could we call it the Arrow? Though I'd also be cool with it being called Spitfire.

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Grimpen 1 point 2 years ago

I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the final platform had room for national partner tweaks. Probably could call ours the Arrow 2: Strange Brew or something.

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Global_Liberty 21 points 2 years ago

Of course Canada needs to leave. Do Canadian politicians think the US will supply it with parts as it invades?

Buy some Gripen and/or Eurofighters and join GCAP.

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lambipapp 8 points 2 years ago

Would love to see some buy in on Saabs next gen project

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BeardedGingerWonder 2 points 2 years ago

Why does Lemmy have such a love for Saab fighter jets? Gripen is a lovely looking jet, but the Typhoon is a lot more capable.

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SpaceCowboy 7 points 2 years ago

But does the Eurofighter come in a flat pack with an allen key and a booklet that vaguely indicates how to assemble it?

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BeardedGingerWonder 1 point 2 years ago

I'm not privy to high level procurement stuff like this, but unless every part is manufacturable in country all drawings/plans/source code/test data etc available and modifiable is there a significant advantage?

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Grimpen 1 point 2 years ago

Yes! GCAP. Still need a stopgap. Maybe stick with F-35, but reduce our commitment. Personally I like Gripen, but I'd differ to experts.

There is also FCAS, but it seems less urgent, not scheduled to begin delivering until 2040, although maybe France and Germany will get the lead out due to recent changes.

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AlolanVulpix 21 points 2 years ago path: 0 15551041, hotness: undefined, score: 21, children: 2
avidamoeba 6 points 2 years ago

Yes. In this case I linked it on purpose because of their handlers.

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AlolanVulpix 6 points 2 years ago
  1. But it continues the notion that we should rely on them for information, when they have most certainly poisoned Canadian culture and politics.
  2. Also, by sending users to an American site, it increases their revenues, when this money could have gone to a Canadian media site.
  3. And if you aren't already aware, Canadian owned media is deliberately neglected because it's contrary to a particular elite group in this country... And yeah, we should support and grow Canadian owned media regardless of political party.

But if you still insist on supporting American media...

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jerkface 20 points 2 years ago

That's less than the total incurred costs of Ford's decision to break the contract with The Beer Store a year earlier than scheduled.

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sirspate 19 points 2 years ago

That's an article from 2016.

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avidamoeba 1 point 2 years ago

Oh damn, I didn't notice. Thanks!

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fletch 13 points 2 years ago path: 0 15550514, hotness: undefined, score: 13, children: 6
nightwatch_admin 14 points 2 years ago

Yeah Europe should also cancel, the Saabs are excellent while the F35 always has had… issues, and we also got the inferior version too.

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fletch 7 points 2 years ago

@nightwatch_admin you must make it at home, at scale, without reliance on enemies or potential enemies. It’s a reasonably simple matrix to optimise. Eurofighter and Saab, new Euro. Make Australia and Canada and New Zealand and UK demonstrate their commitment to a rules base world.

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SreudianFlip 2 points 2 years ago

Avro, 2.0!

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adamsteer 8 points 2 years ago
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fletch 5 points 2 years ago

@adamsteer @avidamoeba USA are gone from NATO, stand up, dig in. Is it the easy road? NO! Do you want a future where you steal a toilet for your home town? That’s where you’re headed, Russia

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fletch 5 points 2 years ago

@adamsteer @avidamoeba time to put a proper moat around “EURO interoperability” interoperability with USA is a trap

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humanspiral 12 points 2 years ago

Notwithstanding clause. Don't pay a fucking dime.

Besides war declared by US, that makes US permissions on every flight a deal breaker, the plane is a POS, and we should be refunded for returning every existing plane we may already have. Cancelling deal for cause, with zero penalty, despite any contract is the right move.

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nik282000 11 points 2 years ago

Ford blew twice that to put beer in gas stations. Clearly we have the money to blow 🤡

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DaddleDew 10 points 2 years ago

I'd be hoping that Trump's time in power would be far outlived by the F-35 program and would be only a footnote in the history of friendship between Canada and the US. But nobody who knows what the future has in reserve.

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ohulancutash 6 points 2 years ago

Significantly. The F-35 programme is a 50-year one. Trump won’t even be alive in half that.

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SpaceCowboy 4 points 2 years ago

Trump won't outlive the F35, but the distrust of the US will.

The US cut off military supplies to a country (Ukraine) during an active conflict. Trump did this as leverage in a negotiation. That's a line that can't be crossed, and he crossed it. There were no articles of impeachment, and most Americans didn't pay it any mind. So this is how Americans do business now.

So we should expect the US to use military supplies as leverage in negotiations going forward. Using US equipment means CAF's readiness is in constant peril for the foreseeable future. Currently it's at the whims of a deranged old man. But it will always be a bargaining chip for future US Presidents.

The only way to ensure CAF readiness is to end the use of all US equipment. It's not solely about Trump, it's about what the US has become.

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Auli 1 point 2 years ago

This is not ending in four years. The US has destroyed decades of trust you think it's just going to come back after Trump.

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LeFantome 10 points 2 years ago

Yes please. So clearly the right move.

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crabigno 7 points 2 years ago

Is there a crowdfunding?

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howrar 8 points 2 years ago

It's called taxes

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crabigno 5 points 2 years ago

And investment. 1/5 of my lifetime economies are now in European aerospace and military companies shares. Something I would have never thought I would do, as a fundamentally anti militaristic person. I don't even care if I don't get any economic benefits out of it.

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Nils 6 points 2 years ago

These are numbers from 2016. Is there any place where we can read these contracts? Maybe with the current situation, conditions are changing. Hopefully, people put a clause in case of animosity between countries.

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CircaV 1 point 2 years ago
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