Introduction (RCAF Journal - SUMMER 2014 - Volume 3, Issue 3 - Point-Counterpoint)

By Colonel Kelvin Truss

In my introductory comments to this edition of The Royal Canadian Air Force Journal I challenged readers to reinvigorate the air-power debate. If we are to have a meaningful dialogue then, as professional aviators, I firmly believe we need to explore points of view and opinions that seem counter to what we might intuitively believe. If we do not challenge ourselves and our thinking we are doing a disservice to Canadian taxpayers that rely on us to provide good, professional judgement and sound military advice. Furthermore, we are doing a disservice to ourselves if a tendency to drift into “group-think” leads us to a point where, in capability terms, “the emperor is found to be wearing no clothes.” The purpose of this “Counterpoint” section, which will be included periodically in the Journal, is to give voice to some views that differ from the official Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) line, that disagree with accepted doctrine, or that challenge a commonly held premise, so as to stimulate subsequent debate.

F35s and the Canadian “Military-Technical Condition”

Point: By Major J. D. McKillip, MSM*, CD, PhD, with contributions by R. W. H. McKillip, CD, MA

Counterpoint: By Colonel Kelvin Truss