Mr. Andersen wrote this letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
December 6, 2025
The Right Honourable M. Carney, Prime Minister
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Ref. F 35 aircraft
Dear Prime Minister;
Having been an RCAF pilot on the F-86 and an air transport economist, I have nothing good to say about the F-35.
An important measure of the use of financial capital is the usefulness of the aircraft one selects to buy. Military measures of capital in use is the effectiveness of the aircraft as a weapon and its 24/7 availability for deployment.
It is at this second requirement that the F-35 falls flat on its undercarriage. To help appreciate this condition, I have enclosed a copy of an article, dated January 24, 2025, titled “F-35 Fighter Readiness Challenges Exposed: GAO Report Reveals Troubling Trends”. The letters GAO stand for Government Accountability Office, USA.
This report brings to mind the F-104 Canada got stuck with in the early 1960s, also built by Lockheed. This jet was rejected for front-line use by the USAF at that time because the maintenance required to get and keep it airworthy was outrageous. The USAF gave them to “weekend” reservists.
In response to the “Second Berlin Crisis”, we had an F-104 squadron based nearby, and those pilots were restricted to 10 flying hours a month, when we were booking +30. That was when we used the term “Hanger-Queens” a lot. That piece of Lockheed aviation junk was well known throughout NATO.
I examined commercial aircraft extensively in the 1970s, and one of my first tests was the productivity to be had from each competing design per unit of capital invested, along with the records of maintenance cost per flight-revenue hour.
Sincerely, Erik Andersen
What GAO Found
Maintenance challenges negatively affect F-35 aircraft readiness. The F-35 fleet mission capable rate—the percentage of time the aircraft can perform one of its tasked missions—was about 55 percent in March 2023, far below program goals. This performance was due in part to challenges with depot and organizational maintenance (see fig.). The program was behind schedule in establishing depot maintenance activities to conduct repairs. As a result, component repair times remained slow with over 10,000 waiting to be repaired—above desired levels. At the same time, organizational-level maintenance has been affected by a number of issues, including a lack of technical data and training.
Categories: Aircraft
in-sights.ca 
Canada would have a more effective aircraft with the Gripen.
Canadas military however prefer the F35!
Could this be because of the endless integration of our military with the USA armed forces?
We should stop dreaming of things will return to normal when Trump is gone.
Next year Trump could announce martial law for some baloney reason and deny an election that would clip his wings.
Even playing a longer game JD Vance could replace Trump!
Its a new world and it’s time for Canada and others to change direction; the USA is no longer the centre of the universe.
TB
LikeLike
We need to declare that Canada is no longer a vassal state to the U.S. We need to atone for the decision to scrap the Avro Arrow program in 1959. All we got in return were bomarcs that were eventually scrapped and crappy F-104s from Lockheed. We were told that in the age of ICBMs the Arrows had become obsolete and therefore the cost to taxpayers could no longer be justified. Funny how the Russians are still flying TU-95s and the Americans are still flying B-52s, both of which date back to the 1950’s. There are too many advantages to Canada acquiring Gripens. But our military is now so integrated into the U.S. military-industrial complex that I doubt we’ll ever see Gripens flying with the RCAF.
LikeLike
With Americans maintaining control of the software that is vital to F-35 operations, the highly automated aircraft could be disabled in moments if a U.S. politician suffering dementia issued an Executive Order to do so. The aircraft could be turned into expensive piles of aluminum, titanium, and carbon composites.
Today, the White House clown promised to issue an order soon to preempt state and local laws. Republicans used to advocate for reduced federal government power and greater autonomy for States when they make policies. G.O.P. members will quickly fold because they lack the will to stand up to a despot.
The U.S. is a dangerous ally. Canada should increase its alignment with Europe, particularly the Nordic countries.
LikeLike
I no longer think of the U.S. as an ally. While there are many Americans who are decent folk there are just as many who are imbeciles who worship at the feet of Trump. This includes many in congress. I believe the U.S. is beyond saving. The best we can do is keep the 79 year old toddler from going completely off the rails. As much as I hate to admit it Carney has done a reasonable job of doing that. But then he turns around and caves to an avowed right wing separatist premier who flew to Mar-A-Lago to kiss Trumps ring. Some say he’s playing 4D chess but I doubt it. That MOU was negotiated without the participation or knowledge of the BC government or coastal 1st nations. Why? Because Carney and Smith know they’re dead set opposed to a pipeline and the removal of the tanker ban. Carney and Smith are acting like decades of court rulings and the Truth and Reconciliation Comission never happened. Why they’re so eager for Northern Gateway 2.0 is anyone’s guess, especially since there’s no business case for a second pipeline that would cost North of $50 billion and especially since the TMX is operating at nowhere near capacity. Just my two cents.
LikeLike
Wait for the coming article at IN-SIGHTS that reveals how bad the proposed pipeline would be.
LikeLike
https://www.facebook.com/share/19npHzYdNo/
LikeLike
Last century in the world we’ve left behind, it made great good and reasonable sense to offer finely researched, easily verified and carefully documented arguments for not allowing additional expenditures to enact enormous boondoggles.
This century? Who will be tasked to examine such weighty considerations as the F-35? Someone impartial? Is that how modern politics function?
A guess? Regardless of how astute the effort if it actually refutes planned policy it must be ignored.
To clarify: yes, evidence assembled must be discussed at the highest levels, kicked about among the brass, perused by self-interested industry Stakeholders, pondered by numerous premiers looking for spicy contracts, and only then poofed away into academic debates within the limbo/purgatory of Scholarly Oblivion
Why think that way? Consider what has been ignored with the example of Ukraine.
How could a country of 38,980,376 people survive 3 years of attacks by a neighbour of 143,997,393 people? Brilliant use of Technology within defense Strategy, plus unconventional Tactics?
Was what Russia deemed sufficient to re-conquer Ukraine at speed already obsolete? In earth’s largest Kleptocracy countless Rubles were lavished to fight yesterday’s wars three years ago. Such plans and countless Russian lives have gone up in flames.
How did Moscow once control Eastern Europe? In a “political” emergency Russian tanks led an army to crush a hopelessly out-gunned opposition.
What changed? Sixty years later when tanks enter Ukraine and are exposed electronically they face near-certain destruction. Heavily armoured vehicles are exploded regularly by tiny drones carrying ultra-high explosives, both small enough to be carried by 1 soldier. Tanks arrayed against other tanks? Completely unnecessary.
Offshore of Crimea naval vessels once patrolled in perfect security until drones made them targets. Some drones operate on the surface, some below. The result? Much of Russia’s Baltic armada is damaged, sunk or has fled, the rest too vulnerable to being sunk to permit close approach.
Long-range bombers and intercontinental missiles stored deep inside Russian territory, where it was considered safe? Now subjected to drone attacks, these assets too are being incinerated. Russian stores of fuels for war and domestic consumption? Same story.
Moscow? Crucial infrastructure is attacked repeatedly.
How could anyone rational fail to reassess the policy implications of what’s changed?
Such a happily self-blinded and self-guided herd has a traditional name, Politicians.
In the last quarter century while science overwhelmed centuries of ignorance politicians everywhere busied themselves to protect industries and fossilized ideas long past their best until purchase dates.
All this concatenated to military parlance? When SNAFU persists long enough it becomes permanently FUBAR.
But, no worries folks. As a soon-to-be Energy Superpower when PetroGiant Canada hits full stride rest assured that regardless of cost or functionality diminished by comparison with weaponry more advanced whatever we purchase will be politically affordable.
Still unaffordable? Ending poverty, ending homelessness, feeding people, improving healthcare, ramping up housing, improving education, reconciling with First Nations, making the streets safer, and in any sane way contributing to the COP effort to avoid the extinction of all planetary life.
Meanwhile in a distant corner of forever-radicalized British California a daily blog posts a cartoon of a future educator (in a cave) who explains, “Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time, we created a lot of value for shareholders.”
Some who have seen this blog may soon view that cartoon as unsoundly optimistic. The idea of any human surviving 25 years of chronic institutionalized stupidity being doubtful.
I’m not there yet. I’ll leave connecting the dots to Albert.
‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’ A. Einstein.
That “same thinking” stuff we call…?
Politics.
LikeLike
If runway too short a parachute is used?
LikeLike
How much damage can drones do?
“The SBU estimates the Dashan to be worth around $30m (£22.4m). It can carry roughly $60m worth of oil goods on a single voyage.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/russia-oil-tanker-drone-strike-b2882486.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-shadow-fleet-sea-drone-strike-b2882415.html
“• The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) used naval drones to attack and damage the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Dashan, part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, in the Black Sea.
“• The Dashan, which had its automatic identification system switched off, was sailing towards the Russian port of Novorossiysk and is estimated to be worth around $30 million.”
“• This incident marks the third attack in two weeks on Russia’s unregulated ‘shadow fleet’, which is crucial for Moscow’s oil exports and helps circumvent international sanctions.”
“• The SBU stated its actions aim to reduce Russia’s petrodollar revenues, with attacks on oil transport forming a key part of Kyiv’s economic warfare strategy.”
“• In response to such attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin previously threatened to cut Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea and intensify attacks on Ukrainian facilities.”
So… Mr. Putin’s military imagined that with oil tanker Dashan’s automatic identification system switched off it would be safe?
During a war, clearly visible Russian oil and gas pipelines, and supporting infrastructure, they’re safe too?
So much to learn!
LikeLike