Canadians are lucky to still have fighter jets that can go toe-to-toe with Russian MiGs and Sukhois. The fast and manoeuvrable CF-18s were built during the Cold War specifically for aerial combat. The F-35s that Canada is considering purchasing, however, are designed for a very different mission: evading air defences during the first wave of “shock-and-awe” attacks on the command sites, radar bases and anti-aircraft missiles of “rogue states” such as Iraq, Libya, Syria and Iran. The recent decision to deploy six CF-18s to Poland is almost serendipitous. Earlier this month, Stephen Harper received a long awaited “options analysis” from...