Posted on 10/16/2017 7:00:35 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Canada's plan to shop for used Australian fighter jets rather than buy new Boeing Super Hornets may backfire, according to defence experts, because the U.S. government will ultimately have a say on whether a deal proceeds.
Even though the FA-18 Hornets are nearly three decades old, require regular corrosion maintenance and are nearing obsolescence, their proposed resale would still require Washington's approval because they are advanced warplanes, originally manufactured in the U.S., a former Royal Australian Air Force officer told CBC News.
"I imagine all of it is going for a fair bargain price," said Peter Layton, a fellow at Griffith University in South East Queensland, Australia, who was a reserve force group captain.
Few customers exist for Australia's used warplanes, and selling to Canada would be an easier sale than most, because the Pentagon would not require all sensitive technology to be stripped out of the aircraft.
But in the context of Canada's current tit-for-tat aerospace trade dispute with the U.S., another defence expert said no one should expect the Trump administration to do Canada any favours in light of the heated rhetoric surrounding Boeing.
"There's a lot of things they could do just within the executive authority to simply be unhelpful," said Dave Perry, an analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "I don't know how far they can go, but if the government of the United States didn't want the aircraft to be sold, it would be very difficult to get them."
Corrosion complaints
Australia's defence materiel group produced a scathing report in 2012 noting that the country's FA-18s were rapidly running out of airframe life and required bigger and bigger slices of the maintenance budget.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbc.ca ...
Royal Australian Air Force FA-18 Hornets fly over Melbourne in 2002. Canada is considering buying the used aircraft, but because the U.S.-built fighters are classified as advanced warplanes. the Trump administration would have to sign off on the sale. (Reuters)
We haven’t been at war with Canada since the war of 1812. I’m pretty sure we’ve gotten over that little burning the White House incident.
The Trump administration should have no cause to block the sale.
Canada is the world’s worst underachieving nation. With their resources they should be 5 times the stature they have. Shackled by leftist BS, they embraced every very bad idea we ever had and them way worse. Needing to get permission to buy 10 year old jets from Australia geez. Some of the nicest people in the world ok but get a clue and by the way dump your ballerina PM.
These FA-18’s are not the super hornet variety I take it. And Oh Canada thinks they can be competitive with them in a real fight?
Navy flyboys who know about these things, correct me if I’m wrong on the FA-18’s.
The Trump administration should have no cause to block the sale.
I think the real issue is the used F-18’s are taking the place of Trudeau not buying brand new fighters from the US because of his anti-US/Trump bias.
“I think the real issue is the used F-18’s are taking the place of Trudeau not buying brand new fighters from the US because of his anti-US/Trump bias. “
Trudeau is “leaked off” because Trump called his game trying to undercut Boeing on commercial jets with Bombardier aircraft. Canada is like a Remora stuck to America’s backside. They’ve been “along for the ride” just like Mexico for decades.
Turns out when they bring them tot the Northern hemisphere, the Aussie planes fly upside-down.
*badum-tiss*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.