this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2026
33 points (100.0% liked)

canada

4959 readers
52 users here now

Canada is not the US's hat. The US is Canada's pants.

founded 5 years ago
33
Canada reconsidering F-35 purchase amid tensions with Washington, says minister (www.cbc.ca)
submitted 1 month ago by yogthos@lemmygrad.ml to c/canada@hexbear.net
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
all 19 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The only way to beat the most overarmed military on the planet is to give that military money for its worst plane that kills its pilot when it manages to fly. That military knows every counter to the expensive plane you're using against them, assuming it isn't full of backdoors that will make it even more inoperable. They won't expect you to actually think you're safe flying it, so you'll catch them off-guard.

Sorry if that's too smart for some people out there. I put a battery in my brain so I can think 10x gooder.

[–] fox@hexbear.net 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's the supply line reliance too. Every hour in the air has something like twenty in maintenance. If they wanted to stop the F35s they've sold from flying, they could just stop selling the repair parts

[–] egg1918@hexbear.net 8 points 1 month ago

Every hour in the air has something like twenty in maintenance.

It's more like every hour of flight needs 9 hours of maintenance, and that's under ideal circumstances.

Also you gotta factor in that many repairs cannot be done by military personnel and have to be done by Lockheed employed technicians. The US has had to fly them out to aircraft carriers for repairs, and you know Lockheed is billing them an ungodly amount of money each time.

The whole thing is such a scam it's honestly beautiful at this point.

[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Nah, the supply chain is super simple. After the first hour in the air you only need:

  • 3-4 large dumpsters

  • A backhoe and small crane

  • A HAZMAT transportation crew and environmental remediation plan for the crash site

[–] CommCat@hexbear.net 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is common when negotiating big military purchases especially with top line fighter jets. If Canada wants a 5th gen fighter, there is no other option but the F-35, the only other option are 4.5+ gen French Rafales or Eurofighters. As for tensions between Canada/Europe and the USA, things will be back to normal once Trump's tenure is over. Don't hold any fantasies that Trumps strong arming of its traditional allies will result in some permanent break, Atlantacists will simply not allow this. Trump's aggressive moves will simply cement Amerikkka's dominant role towards its subservient allies.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 month ago (4 children)

The real question is why Canada needs jet fighters in the first place, who the fuck is Canada planning to fight exactly.

[–] buttwater@hexbear.net 11 points 1 month ago

They will need to participate in the "coalition of the willing" by buying and sending a detachment of whatever arms & troops the US asks them to next time we invade a country

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 8 points 1 month ago

~~America Jr.~~ Canada is going to go ELBOWS UP against America with jets America can turn off whenever they want.

I'm in charge of the Canadian Armed Forces, and I am very smart.

kkkanada

[–] Sherad@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

In the not too distant future, Greenland will be found harboring communists and WMDs and NATO countries will be forced to move in, needing a justification for the 5% increase in military spending and the slashing of public services and infrastructure.

/s

But maybe...

But /s

...unless?

[–] LeninWalksTheEarth@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

what? Every country has a military of some kind. and it's not like they are going to have a shitload of F-35's.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

That doesn't really answer my question. Like is Canada planning to fight Russia or maybe China? What else could we possibly need F-35s for? Also, plenty of countries have a national guard or self defense force. The only thing Canadian military is used for is enforcing imperialism around the world.

[–] Eldritch@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

F-35As are B61-12 tactical nuke capable. I believe the most recent frenzy around them is to make it so every nato nation has this new generation of nuclear weapons. It signals a shift in nuclear policy. It could technically be used in a first strike that disables the enemy's nuclear capacity as they are also stealth planes that dodges enemy radars.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

The whole idea of a decapitating first strike is a complete fantasy. Russia has a dead man's switch, they have subs circling the US coast. They have hypersonic missiles that cannot be intercepted. I really hope these idiots don't genuinely believe they could survive a nuclear war.

[–] LeninWalksTheEarth@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Like is Canada planning to fight Russia or maybe China?

certainly not alone at the least.

i'll be honest, i didnt realize how deployed their military is, but it's probably just following big brothers lead. link

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 month ago

The reality is that the US would react to either Russia or China trying to invade Canada exact same way Russia reacted to NATO expansion in Ukraine. The only country that's an actual threat to Canada is the US, and there's no hope of Canada contesting the US militarily. All our infrastructure is right on the border. The US could take out our pour grid in the first hour.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago

UK should too

[–] SacredExcrement@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago

Gonna get tariff'd for not buying them