Asterix completes RCN trials and CF-18s to fly until 2032

In this episode, Asterix completes Royal Canadian Navy trials, Canada's CF-18s to fly until 2032 and Boeing Gets $6.6 Billion from the Pentagon to expand missile defense

Show Notes:

Canada will try to get more flying time out of its aging CF-18s with the aim to keep the jets operating for another 15 years, up to 2032.

Some aerospace industry sources, however, question whether the 2032 retirement is set in stone since any delays in the purchase of new jets could alter that schedule.

Asterix completes Royal Canadian Navy trials

Davie Shipbuilding and Federal Fleet Services announced that following an intensive period of at-sea trials and testing, Asterix has been formally accepted by the Department of National Defence and has now entered full operational service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Boeing gets $6.6 billion to expand missile defense

Boeing has received a $6.56 billion contract to continue managing the U.S. missile defense system intended to stop North Korean or Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Department said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to create a nuclear warhead and a missile that could hit the U.S. mainland, adding to the urgency of U.S. missile defense efforts. In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said, "North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening."