Trawler Mauler

I like boats, especially Canadian ones. Simple as.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk If you want to a V/STOL unmanned platform that is cost effective, easy to operate & useful for counter-drone purposes off ships, I think you are chasing either an impossible aircraft or something that will be in development hell & cost a fortune even comes out the other side.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk If availability & cost are issues, keeping aging Harriers in high stress ops is questionable. V/STOL aircraft are very complex, time consuming & costly to build. Look at how few actually exist, let alone made it to production. I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze here.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk While there was likely political considerations re the interim Super Hornet purchase, the primary reason it was rejected was the price tag attached & Boeing misrepresenting said cost. It was $2B~ for the fighters alone + likely another $2-3B CAD for the support package.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@LesbosQuasar @heatloss1986 I think the primary driver for this behavior is the fundamental lack of capital Saab has to develop & maintain the Gripen design, that comes from how low their operator pool is. They are desperate to get operators to spread costs and get more people to pay for development.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@LesbosQuasar @heatloss1986 It’s especially exhausting for people who have been plugged into this discussion for over a decade at this point, the same talking points have been regurgitated over and over by Saab and a worrying amount of folks take it as gospel.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@TomcatJunkie The Super Hornet was disqualified from the competition to replace the CF-18, due to not meeting the requirements late into the trials. There was never any further details given but it’s thought that the USN not adopting the conformal fuel tanks basically killed the bid.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@NoahGairn That’s the RCN question equivalent to “should I tear out all of the electrical sockets in my house and replace them with European ones?”

[NOAH @NoahGairn]

The Canadian government has FINALLY announced the HIMARS purchase at 4pm on a Tuesday. Not the worst slot, but definitely intentional

https://t.co/hK1c5a2Kct

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@AlexRMcColl @NoahGairn Yes and that was another baseless, “anonymous official” sourced post as well. It’s quite obvious that some rogue member of cabinet keeps throwing their preferred narrative to whatever media outlet will carry them in an attempt to shift the overall discussion where they want it.

[NOAH @NoahGairn]

The Canadian Deep Sensing and EW Aircraft (CDSEA) will provide the RCAF with an Airborne Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) and advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) aircraft capable of multi-domain deep sensing and stand-off electronic attack.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@Bone348 It’s a big part of Saab’s sales brochure, so it’s peddled to all customers regardless of if its relevance to their operational environment, organizational structure & doctrine. Many figures regarding turn around & maintenance times in the field with conscripts are suspect too.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk It doesn't make sense operationally to subject your crew & vessel to those stresses on a diplomatic mission, with the goal of going to RIMPAC later. This is also a notable diplomatic event for the Koreans, it would put a damper on their interests to not stop along the way.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@northdud @NoahGairn Bilingual crackpile.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk Davie wants an ungodly amount of money to purchase the vessel outright. It seems evident from their recent desperate attempts to keep the Asterix gravy train going that they know the jig is coming to an end with the future arrival of JSS to the fleet.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@CDNPolicyHawk Asterix is fundamentally a compromise design given poor choices during conversion alongside the fact FFS totally sponged the Canadian Govt through contract costs. Asterix was a required capability due to prior govt mismanagement but, it doesn’t seem economical to keep her.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@NoahGairn La Presse announces worst possible mixed fleet split, asked to leave the media function immediately.

[Trawler Mauler @perfidiousleaf]

@NoahGairn I find this hard to believe, comes off as a last ditch effort at the final hour to sway the customer. TKMS previously stated we have to enter into negotiations with Germany & Norway to secure prod slots, even if we declared them as winner. Now that’s changed? Count me skeptical.