The world is slowly moving away from the US.
It's interesting because this administration main goal was to MAGA.. but it happened quite the opposite thing. It turns out, the world doesn't need much of the US products and services.
Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
391–400 of 528 posts
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#392Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the past countries would buy American equipment even if it wasn’t the best fit because that would make you essentially an American ally. Being part of the U.S. ecosystem was valuable. Unfortunately, over the last 1.5 years, the political value proposition has turned by 180 degrees. - Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. But the U.S. has been tearing ag…
>Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. The US never promised to protect Ukraine. It's often claimed that the Budapest Memorandum was a promise from the US to protect Ukraine, but this is misinformation. Read the memorandum for yourself if you don't believe me, it's not very long: https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%203007/P...
I don't think that is really relavent. Ukraine was essentially invaded because they became too friendly with NATO (and hence america). Even without a formal promise, other countries are going to notice america hanging ukraine out to dry and add that to their calculations when deciding who to be buddy-buddy with.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#393Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the past countries would buy American equipment even if it wasn’t the best fit because that would make you essentially an American ally. Being part of the U.S. ecosystem was valuable. Unfortunately, over the last 1.5 years, the political value proposition has turned by 180 degrees. - Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. But the U.S. has been tearing ag…
This is 100% true and I agree with all of it, but I would just add that for fighter jets specifically the calculus is a bit different. Unless you want to buy Chinese jets your choices are either F35s or a big step down to 4th generation fighters that are materially worse in terms of capability. Modern 4th gen fighters are still very capable, cheaper, simpler and more reliable, but if you ever do end up facing an adve…
But if you can have more 4th gen aircrafts and have easier support and maintenance so that you can keep them flying, then that might more than outweigh the 5th gen aircrafts possible superiority.
A 5th gen aircraft on the ground is not very useful. It's easier to bomb out 100 aircraft than 400 aircraft. A 5th gen aircraft, disabled remotely via software is not very useful.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#394The Saab GlobalEye is based on the Bombardier Global 6500 airframe. Bombardier Aviation is a Canadian company. For those who aren't aware, the Boeing E7 is yet-another-delayed-Boeing project. The UK has bought it but it has been continually delayed: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/uk-defense-official-boei... Australia flies it (an earlier version) but today announced they are also buying three Bombardier Global 6…
>Bombardier Aviation is a Canadian company.
Was. They are now part of Airbus, much like Bombardier Transport is now part of Alstom.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#395This is actually more likely a non-political procurement decision that looks like a political one. This is the 'right size' for Canada and other nations - the US doesn't offer a true comparable, and, looks like the US balked at buying the 'kind of comparable' Boeing E7 putting it in jeopardy. With European military renaissance and the SAAB gear proving itself in Ukraine ... well, you see the shift. This is the shift…
In the past countries would buy American equipment even if it wasn’t the best fit because that would make you essentially an American ally. Being part of the U.S. ecosystem was valuable. Unfortunately, over the last 1.5 years, the political value proposition has turned by 180 degrees. - Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. But the U.S. has been tearing ag…
> Being a U.S. ally is no guarantee of protection even if you literally host American bases like the gulf countries are seeing. In fact, it’s only made them a target and the U.S. prioritized protecting Israel entirely over protecting any of the Gulf states.
I think that is a little oversimplified. America did spend resources on defense of gulf states. They might feel it wasn't enough but it definitely wasn't nothing. I imagine defending Israel was probably a fair bit easier given the distance from Iran, and their domestic military being a lot more prepared and practised for missile defense, which may have translated to more effective results. Ultimately though i think there is a limit to how much America can reasonable do on defense once something like that starts.
Probably the thing gulf states could most reasonably be pissed about was starting the whole adventure in the first place without much regard for the fairly predictable consequences.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#396Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. The US never promised to protect Ukraine. It's often claimed that the Budapest Memorandum was a promise from the US to protect Ukraine, but this is misinformation. Read the memorandum for yourself if you don't believe me, it's not very long: https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%203007/P...
I don't think that is really relavent. Ukraine was essentially invaded because they became too friendly with NATO (and hence america). Even without a formal promise, other countries are going to notice america hanging ukraine out to dry and add that to their calculations when deciding who to be buddy-buddy with.
>Ukraine was essentially invaded because they became too friendly with NATO (and hence america).
Well then maybe the US stopped sending them weapons in order to address the underlying problem?
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#397Earlier quoted context omitted.
Land deal? Russia has never asked for a land deal. They started the war and their goal has always been the total destruction of Ukraine and the enslavement of the people. Where they’ve pulled back from occupied areas they’ve mass civilian graves and bodies with signs of torture.
Stop spreading propaganda. - Ukrainians are the second largest ethnicity in Russia. - The majority of people living on a currently contested territories of Ukraine used to be USSR citizens. - Russia got the majority of Ukrainian refugees since the start of a war if we count per country. - Pretty much all the former Ukraine citizens got Russian passports and a citizens of Russia now. - And yes, if Ukraine is using cit…
> And yes, if Ukraine is using cities as fortresses and do not evacuate civilians from there, high chances are that after weeks and months long battles those civilians end up in graves with nasty wounds on their bodies.
"Nasty wounds" like their hands tied behind their backs and a hole in the back of their skull? That kind of thing?
That sounds like the definition of a war crime to me.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#398The world is slowly moving away from the US. It's interesting because this administration main goal was to MAGA.. but it happened quite the opposite thing. It turns out, the world doesn't need much of the US products and services.
Here is some hard data to back that up; the Country Perceptions Index.
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#399Earlier quoted context omitted.
So I don't think 'buying US gear made you an ally' - it was just part of the package, and in some cases, the US would 'require allies' to buy. The US Ambassador to Canada is openly threatening Carney right now with some procurement things - the 'Big One' is the F35. This is Can PM Carney playing a decent card, and biding for time until the midterms, and then waiting out the 'lame duck' period. 'Border State Republica…
Sorry, but I also think you are complacent. This is generational destruction of reputation. As a Canadian, we regularly talk about "fuck American companies" in a way we never did. I still actively avoid buying anything from USA in grocery stores. City of Toronto is spinning up a nonprofit grocery store pilot, and they sure as hell are going to be trying not to stock USA goods -- the mayor herself passed an anti-USA p…
How do you know which companies are not american?
Re: Canada to order military plane fleet from Sweden in shift from US suppliers
#400Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the past countries would buy American equipment even if it wasn’t the best fit because that would make you essentially an American ally. Being part of the U.S. ecosystem was valuable. Unfortunately, over the last 1.5 years, the political value proposition has turned by 180 degrees. - Being a U.S. ally no longer guarantees that you will be protected by the U.S. as Ukraine is seeing. But the U.S. has been tearing ag…
> Being a U.S. ally is no guarantee of protection even if you literally host American bases like the gulf countries are seeing. In fact, it’s only made them a target and the U.S. prioritized protecting Israel entirely over protecting any of the Gulf states. I think that is a little oversimplified. America did spend resources on defense of gulf states. They might feel it wasn't enough but it definitely wasn't nothing.…
> America did spend resources on defense of gulf states.
No offence mate, but did you miss the bit about the USA starting the war?