A Canadian CF-18 along with four possible contenders for follow-on fighters for Canada. Top to bottom: Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter, Eurofighter Typhoon. DoD Photos
Boeing and Lockheed Martin, rivals locked in Canada’s long-time saga of considering a next-generation fighter, were two of four firms invited this week to submit bids to build the aircraft.
USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2017.
The following is part of a series. Please also see Top Stories 2017: Navy Acquisition, Navy Operations, Marine Corps Operations, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Acquisition, International Operations and New Administration.
Capt. Matthew Kutryk, Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, flies a specially painted CF-18 Hornet commemorating Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation during the Wings Over Wayne Air Show, May 21, 2017, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. US Air Force Photo
The Canadian government will start a new competition to buy 88 fighters to replace the aging fleet of Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets, Ottawa announced on Tuesday. Read More
A Canadian CF-18 flies in formation with other aircraft off the coast Hawaii. US Navy Photo
THE PENTAGON — The proposed $5.23 billion sale of 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters to Canada received U.S. Department of State approval, marking a significant step toward U.S. ally’s plan to upgrade its aging fighter jet fleet. Read More
Canadian soldiers storm the beach near Mayport during a UNITAS Gold amphibious assault demonstration in 2009.
Canada’s announcement to boost its defense budget by 70 percent over ten years comes after more than a decade of low spending, but also a period of intense operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere that has worn down both equipment and personnel. Read More
F-35 test pilot Maj Charles “Flak” Trickey fired the GAU-22/A 25mm gun from F-35A aircraft AF-2 in the first aerial gun test operating on the China Lake, California, test range, Oct. 30, 2015. US Air Force photo.
Canada’s participation in the global Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter remains in limbo, with conflicting reports coming out of the country since the installation of a Liberal Party government following the Oct. 19 election. Read More
An F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter on Nov. 3, 2014. The Navy included eight of the aircraft and 12 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in its FY 2016 Unfunded Priorities List to Congress. US Navy Photo
Upgrading the electronic warfare capabilities on ships and aircraft, modernizing destroyers and adding almost $2 billion in new aircraft topped the Navy’s list of wants in its unfunded priorities wish list to Congress. Read More
US Air Force F-22 Raptor escorting a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bomber in 2011. US Air Force Photo
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – While Russian military aircraft have stepped up their activity everywhere from the North Sea to the Baltic to the Black Sea in the last year they have also been spotted more frequently closer to the U.S. territory in the Arctic, the head of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) told USNI News on Tuesday. Read More
