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Saturday, January 31, 2026

Why The Gripen JAS 39E versus the Lockheed Martin F-35 And The Inherent Symbolism Posed By This Question

As many of you might know, I've long been an aviation enthusiast, especially with regard to military strategic aircraft and certainly those employed by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Insofar as my knowledge of flight and aircraft goes, I'm a strictly a novice, never having flown a real aircraft in my life, thanks mostly to the fact that I lack 20/20 vision, because if I didn't, I most certainly would have signed up for the air force rather than as an airborne specialist in that time of my life when I had the youth and potential to make a difference by my physical application of patronage and interests.


Fortunately, amongst the circle of my closest friends, I've had more than one who chose the path of aviation, both of whom had 20/20 vision and hence pursued their fixed wing aircraft licenses. Through their ambitions, in combination with my own pursuit of my interests, I was able to accumulate many, many hours of flight simulator training on a wide variety of military aircraft, most noteworthy thereof being the McDonnell Douglas F-18, Canada's multi-role fighter/strike craft of choice. My interest in such aircraft came long before either Top Gun or Maverick, though I'm a big fan of both movies, and admire what they've done insofar as inspiring entire generations of aviation enthusiasts the world over. It would be nice to see a third movie in that series, perhaps Maverick's long lost daughter taking up the mantel that he left behind. Certainly a quiet nod to Amelia Earhart, who likely inspired many female pilots herself.


I was one of the many who supported the Canada's procurement of the F-35 platform, despite my knowing that the aircraft was designed for a role far beyond Canada's own security requirements. The F-35 aircraft is, for those of you who don't know, a stealth multi-role strike craft built around the Sensor Fusion platform, a modern battlefield concept that integrates both local sensor arrays with that of incoming battlefield data from other sources (aircraft, ground stations and naval sources) to yield a comprehensive real-time situational awareness, whose effectiveness is augmented by the number of sensory sources across the battlefield. The more awareness you have in a variety of locations, further augments the F-35's awareness of the theatre of its operations.


When the F-35 was in the early design stages, these concepts were the goals and ambitions of a post Cold War United States of America, who up until recently had elected itself as the world's (somewhat hegemonic) police force as it were. Protecting the interests of its NATO allies, as much as its own across the globe against the "red" threat, in a giant red versus blue political theatre.


Back when Canada's relationship with its southern neighbours was perhaps more fruitful as it were, there were very good reasons that the Canada's choice to procure the F-35 platform for national defense was a very good idea. 


For one, the Distant Early Warning system or DEW line, had been mostly a technological achievement of the United States, despite its deployment being almost entirely within the borders of Canada. The DEW line was of course designed as an early warning system against bomber and ICBM incursion into arctic airspace by the Soviet Union (and Russia after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact), the shortest path for bomber launched and ICBM missiles targeting North American strategic sites in the event of a Cold War gone "hot" scenario. Many Canadian military personnel were and are currently employed by the DEW line, and it is one of the few relics from that era that maintains a sizeable (and very much relevant) budget. 


That isn't to say that we can't trust those "sneaky" Russians as much as it is to say that its a realistic and very much necessary part of our national security. If you doubt that, then ask yourself why do other nations on the other side of that proverbial fence employ the SPRN (Russia) and the JL-1A (China). As Canadians, we're certainly not a threat, but there are neighbours in our proximity who are, and it pays to make efforts to, and advertise the advanced technology thereof, one's protection of their citizens and borders. 


They should do it, and so should we (for ourselves) and so should everyone else. Its a fundamental expression of one's independence rather than co-dependency and it reinforces a national identity and protects our dignity. Not only that, but it creates employment for a very worthwhile cause. We're Canadian, however humble we might be, but we're dignified to say so as much so as I'm hoping that other nations recognize themselves similarly as people of their own. That gives the entire world a sense of value when they see two world leaders shaking hands. That cooperation between people has an immense value, where millions (if not billions) are spent ensuring each nation's sovereignty and the peoples' dignity. The recent message of the United Nations' leader Guterres on the topic of unity certainly underlines this fact and it should be a highly regarded goal of 2026 for all nations. Both to support the United Nations (certainly financially), and for each nation to support its own sense of national identity and its own independent priorities. Mark Carney has certainly given this idea a very important sense of value in a time of national crisis, where our identity and independence as Canadians is under threat.


Throughout the Cold War era, national defense was extensively tied in with our relationship with the United States of America, the first and only nation to have ever deployed nuclear weapons during wartime operations, and that statement should bare some significance to all of us and serve as a reminder as to the extent to which policy can and will be dictated by the acceptance of a world that has lost its voice insofar as opposition is concerned. We're ourselves. We are not represented by any other person (yours truly included) or nation. When we speak as a country, we speak as a country and the world should of course echo this sentiment, each as their own nations with their own identities.


We are now moving into an era where Canada (and hopefully other nations) will wield its own  situational awareness and operational protection of its own borders, independent of technology that is entirely wielded and guided in terms of enterprise by another nation, with whom we have no input and to whom we're being held in contempt during the process of said technology's development, thanks mostly to the skeletons of the Cold War.


From the moment I heard about the possibility of the Gripen deal, I held a great deal of interest in the idea, though not on the basis of technology, despite the fact that the deal makes both technological and economical sense. I entirely supporft the Gripen JAS 39E (upgraded from the JAS 39C) platform. My interest in the deal was based primarily upon the idea that Canada does indeed wield its own future, and that future became entirely apparent by the fact that we do indeed have a choice. Not just one, but many. Infinitely so and have since Diefenbaker chose to abandon the Avro Arrow program, despite the fact that in losing that program, Canada might have had the biggest part in creating NASA, as most of the engineers who went on to work on the Apollo program were former Avro engineers. A fact that has historically been overlooked by many, though I certainly am not trying to steal the credit for the moon landing from the United States of America. I'm just making sure that people are aware of the facts. So, the Moon landing was a Canadian victory if not as much so as an American one. Our brightest engineers helped them to get there, as much so as the work of Wernher von Braun.


Sweden with its lucrative Gripen deal has welcomed Canada into an opportunity for us as Canadians to wield our own destiny once again, free of the American Empire, without sacrificing theirs or our dignity in the process. We are free to pursue our own ambitions and to build a solid bridge with our long lost European allies, all of whose soil many Canadians lost their lives in protecting, and without robbing the people of Germany of their national dignity. They lost many honest and hard working soldiers during the war, many of whom did not personally uphold Adolf Hitler's values. Yet they gave their lives in protecting the values of their nation at that time, and I'd be willing to bet that those Germans who spoke out against, were quickly silenced. We have not been right all of the time throughout history. Look at the plight of Indigenous people throughout colonization. So how can the world hold Germans in contempt of history when I'd be willing to bet that there are likely many unheralded German heroes of the war. Women and Men whose stories would likely have drawn tears from the eyes of our own veterans.


That is what the Gripen deal gives us as Canadians. A chance to reflect upon who we really are. 


Are we our southern neighbours? No. They are, but we're not.


I'm very grateful that we have this opportunity to as Canadians across the country, from far and wide, assert our independence and identity. Perhaps there will come a time where the term "Je Me Souviens"  (I will remember) will instead refer to this (2025/2026) time in Canadian history, rather than one of our most challenging and divisive times which thankfully to the people and our leaders of the time, managed to hold us all together rather than leading us toward a fate that might have ended with Canada becoming the 51st state. 


Hopefully Alberta and Quebec remembers how important it is to Canada. A true north strong and free Canada. There will never be a day in my life that I forget seeing all of the prairies from the windows of our family van as much so as seeing Montreal much the same during our family travels. I've been there. I've seen all of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and British Columbia (and every province in Canada). From the most wondrous scenery of Lake Louise, to being a trained horseback rider in both horse maintenance and care, in the heights of the mountains of British Columbia. I've ridden on glaciers and seen thousand foot drops only an arm's distance away while riding. I know this country like few people have ever seen, but most all of us intuitively know. You were all there with me when I experienced those things because I brought you all with me so I wouldn't be alone. 


We're Canadians. Together. I like being myself and certainly appreciate my time without you. Especially my intimate time. But there isn't a moment of my adventures where I'd be without you.


However, if there ever comes a situation where a horse needs care. Let me handle it. I know what I'm doing. Really. I do. I'm the guy on the course who wouldn't sacrifice the horse, even getting scolded by my trainer because I wouldn't put my horse in any risk I wouldn't take myself. I dismounted on the side with the drop (at great risk to my own safety), to protect my horse, rather than dismount on the safe side which would have put my horse at risk. 


That's what makes us Canadian.


So lets do this Gripen deal, and see where this grand adventure takes us next.


Perhaps we can can honour SCTV alumni Catherine O'Hara's contribution to our global legacy in some humble way, far beyond her contribution to our national identity and pride as people of this world.


Have a great weekend! ;-)


Brian Joseph Johns

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