Social commentary around the F-35 issue is in general acceptance that they are needed, based almost exclusively on the age of the F-18s. There is an interesting comment in the paper today about the CF-18s in Libya (The Globe and Mail, “NATO split threatens Libyan effort”). Seems that the CF-18s and Tornados are particularly unsuitable for close air support to ground troops, i.e. they’re only good for bombing and departing. So again, if our future commitments are to Libyan-type conflicts where the need is for close air support, we’re buying the wrong plane.
'Insightful and engaging'
