France steps up: Rafale jets offered to Canada, Portugal: LINK
This is a good short-term option for Canada. I read that the Rafale was previously rejected because of its lack of interoperability with American fighter jets. Until recently (about 5 months ago) interoperability was considered for obvious reasons to be of paramount importance for NORAD. In this new unreal world that we suddenly find ourselves thrust into interoperability with fighter jets from a country that has all but declared Canada an enemy is no longer a consideration in fact Canada needs to exit NORAD a defense pact that has always primarily benefited the defense of the United States. I don't think wiping Canada off the map has ever been a big priority for the Russians or before them the Soviets.
For 66 years Canada has contributed immensely to the air defense of the United States acting as a ~2500-mile buffer between the United States and the perceived greatest threat to the United States Russia and the former Soviet Union. Currently 40% of funding for NORAD comes Canada despite the fact that the United States is the primary beneficiary of NORAD and is 10X the size of Canada. For this Canada receives no recognition or gratitude from the current occupant of the White House who says "we pay to defend Canada". Name one country that has done more for the defense of the United States than Canada? I can't think of any. Just by our geographic location Canada is by default America's greatest ally. How would the American's feel about the
perceived threat from Russia being moved 2500 miles south from the Canadian arctic to the Canadian/American border? How would the American's feel if they lost all early warning detection from radar stations in Canada's north? What would be the implications for Russia's first-strike capabilities if that happened? A war is being fought in Ukraine over similar geographic considerations.
Long term I think Canada should look to partner with a friendly nation to develop and build a sixth-generation stealth fighter containing the least number of American components as possible. Preferably ZERO American content if it is determined that we need such a
manned aircraft in the future which I am not convinced of.
Unmanned automatous AI powered hypersonic drones will make manned fighter jets obsolete someday soon.
With regards to the new Canadian Destroyer program referenced above in this thread Canada needs to go back to the drawing board. We need to build a destroyer with European "kit" not American. This is non-negotiable although in the age of "Carrier-killer" hypersonic missiles from Russia, China and even Iran and Yemen are surface naval vessels obsolete? Should we instead be putting our money into submarines?
Mark Carney said in a speech the other day that 90 cents of every Canadian defense procurement dollar goes to the United States. This has to stop IMMEDIATELY! We don't need the United States. What we cannot make ourselves we can buy from friendly nations, and I would go even further and say I would prefer Canada buy military equipment from the Russians or Chinese than from the Americans. Canada could sure use a bunch of Russian S-400/500 air defense systems right now!
Thinking long term, I believe that France is probably Canada's best bet as defense partner. The Brits are too much in the American camp (perhaps that will change after April 2nd). Perhaps France can sell us some nuclear-powered submarines that the Australians stupidly cancelled that we could equip with nuclear missiles since without nukes no country is safe from American aggression. The United States has suddenly turned into a predator nation in search of weak nations to bully and finally acquire. Canadians need to wake up to this new regrettable reality.
