The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge Your Turn -- American F35 or Swedish Gripen
9 snips
Dec 4, 2025 The discussion dives into the heated debate over Canada's choice between F-35s and Gripen fighter jets. Listeners passionately argue for Gripen's potential to rebuild Canadian aerospace and bolster jobs while raising concerns about U.S. dependence with the F-35. Cold weather performance and sovereignty are hot topics, with many urging a hybrid fleet approach. The Random Ranter also critiques a recent MOA, focusing on electricity rather than pipelines. The episode captures a range of perspectives that underscore the complexity of national defense choices.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Fighter Choice Is Technical And Political
- Canada faces a choice between buying more American F-35s or Swedish Gripens amid strained U.S. relations.
- The decision mixes technical performance with geopolitics and national sovereignty concerns.
F-35 Dependency Is About Software
- The F-35 is a software-defined, highly networked system reliant on U.S. code and personnel rules.
- There is no literal 'kill switch,' but dependency creates operational and sovereignty risks.
Avro Arrow Regret Shapes Opinions
- Several writers hark back to the cancelled Avro Arrow as a national missed opportunity.
- They link that loss to today's debates on sovereignty and domestic aerospace capability.