The Tyee featured a 2011 op-ed written by Michael Byers, the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC, arguing against the Harper government’s determination to spend billions of dollars on a new generation of high-tech fighter jet.
Five years after Byers and researcher Stewart Webb said the Super Hornet would be ideal for Canada’s air force, the Liberal government is considering acquiring those aircraft.
“Fortunately for Canada, other, already proven aircraft could fulfill our needs even better than the F-35, and at a much lower price,” they wrote. “For example, Boeing’s F/A-18E Super Hornets already fly for the U.S. and Australia, and cost just $55 million each. As the latest version of the CF-18 series, they also offer greatly reduced training costs to Canada.”
