By Scott Taylor The controversial procurement of 88 new F-35 fighter jets for the RCAF was back in the news again last week. An anonymous whistleblower leaked documents to National Post columnist John Ivison which resulted in an article entitled How Canada’s military-industrial c
Modern air combat isn’t about dogfights anymore. A plane like the F-35 is an asset in the air because of its sensor suite way more than because of its ability to deploy ordnance. It’ll let us patrol our massive airspace much more effectively than the 5-6 operational CF-18s we currently have.
Yes, drones will be important, but for long-range combat they’ll get used in conjunction with manned aircraft in the air. The F-35 is a formidable platform for that. Tomorrow’s air combat will probably consist of squadrons of autonomous drones under the command of a manned aircraft flying with them in formation.
Modern air combat isn’t about dogfights anymore. A plane like the F-35 is an asset in the air because of its sensor suite way more than because of its ability to deploy ordnance. It’ll let us patrol our massive airspace much more effectively than the 5-6 operational CF-18s we currently have.
Yes, drones will be important, but for long-range combat they’ll get used in conjunction with manned aircraft in the air. The F-35 is a formidable platform for that. Tomorrow’s air combat will probably consist of squadrons of autonomous drones under the command of a manned aircraft flying with them in formation.