New Fighter Aircraft program

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The New Fighter Aircraft Program was a Canadian Forces program in the late 1970s to find a replacement fighter aircraft for the Canadian fleet of CF-101 Voodoo interceptors, CF-104 Starfighter attack aircraft and CF-5 Freedom fighters. In the end the F/A-18 was selected in 1980, and the CF-18 Hornet was delivered to Canada from 1982 to 1988.

[edit] History

In 1977, the Canadian government at the time identified the need to replace the NATO assigned CF-104 Starfighter, the NORAD assigned CF-101 Voodoo and the CF-116 Freedom Fighter in front-line roles (although the CF-116 was retained as an advanced training aircraft). The subsequent decision was the decision to proceed with the New Fighter Aircraft competition, with a purchase budget of around $2.4 billion dollars Canadian to purchase 130-150 of the winner of the competition. Candidates were the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, Panavia Tornado, the Dassault Mirage F1 (later substituted the Mirage 2000), plus the products of the American Lightweight Fighter (LWF) competition, the F-16 Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet. The government stressed that the winner of the competition be a proven off-the-shelf design and provide substantial industrial benefits as part of the order.

By 1978, the New Fighter Aircraft competitors were short listed to just two aircraft; the F-16 Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet. The F-14, F-15, and the Tornado were rejected due to the high purchase price, while Dassault dropped out of the competition. However the F-14 almost entered Canadian service through the backdoor due to the Iranian Revolution. Canada tried hard to convince the Iranians to sell its almost-new fighters at cut-rate prices due to the US cutting off the supply of spare parts to Iran. However, the negotiations died before a deal was reached as it was revealed that Canadian involvement was instrumental for the smuggling of American embassy personnel out of the new Islamic Republic.[1]

A Canadian CF-18 flies off the coast of Hawaii
A Canadian CF-18 flies off the coast of Hawaii

In 1980, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet was declared the winner of the New Fighter Aircraft competition. Reasons for the selection listed by the Canadian Forces included two engines for reliability (considered essential for conducting Arctic sovereignty and over the water patrols), an excellent radar set, while being considerably much more affordable compared to the F-14 and the F-15. A total of 138 CF-18 Hornets were delivered to Canada from 1982 to 1988.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The CF18 Hornet fighter aircraft – In Detail (Part 3).
  2. ^ Jenkins, Dennis R. F/A-18 Hornet: A Navy Success Story. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. ISBN 0-07-134696-1.