Retired RCAF commanders flag pilot numbers as weak point in Liberals’ jet plan
OTTAWA — Two former Royal Canadian Air Force commanders are raising questions about the Liberal government’s rush to buy “interim” fighter jets, saying there won’t be enough pilots to fly the planes for years to come.
Retired lieutenant-generals Kenneth Pennie and Andre Deschamps say that defeats the purpose of acquiring Super Hornets as a stop-gap measure, and running a full competition now makes more sense.
“Trying to do a short-term Band-Aid is not going to be helpful,” said Deschamps, who commanded the air force from 2009-2012.
“The only thing that’s going to work to address the gap is to finish off the competition process, pick a winner, and implement it. Then you can start addressing this gap concern.”