I don't mean that the airframes are any good, I just mean that Canada has a population similar to that of California and almost half the GDP. They neighbor their closest ally and are separated by ocean and arctic wastes from anyone who would want to invade them. They don't really have much expeditionary need and their defense would be backed by all of NATO.
So a couple old multi-role fighters are sort of okay for what they are doing. Mostly air to ground missions and demonstration flights. They need to up their defense spending a bit to meet NATO obligations, but not that much honestly. No one is going to kick out Canada, especially after the USA dragged them into Iraq.
The regime of steadily decreasing F-35 prices as new lots are contracted is at an end [0]. With inflation and the cost-overruns on the Tech Refresh 3 upgrade package, we are in a regime where prices will slowly increase.
>F-35s are significantly cheaper than they were a few years ago, and as more are produced the prices continue to drop
I've heard this argument before about Canada's F-35 saga and it is now what it was then, massive copium overdose. By this logic Canada ought to wait until the F-35 is obsolete and other nations are selling airframes off for cheap.
That Canada did not have to use its air force in war during the Trudeau years does not mean that its 100% politically driven decision to shirk on the F-35 buy, then jump back on it again, was not a mistake.
i'm not saying canada not buying f35s to begin with was necessarily the correct choice, but the fact that they don't have a massive GDP and have now managed to purchase them for a lower price isn't "infinitely worse" than if they had bought them to begin with, it has lucked out in their favour
So a couple old multi-role fighters are sort of okay for what they are doing. Mostly air to ground missions and demonstration flights. They need to up their defense spending a bit to meet NATO obligations, but not that much honestly. No one is going to kick out Canada, especially after the USA dragged them into Iraq.