So I guess those folks commenting on the article expect that in future Canada will only be fighting in the 'Stans,
and similar situations? i.e, in an environment with total air supremacy against an ill-equipped enemy?
Sorry, dudes thinking that the conflicts of the past two decades are the only model for the future is pretty silly.
Also the notion that the F-18s would be 'effective top cover' sounds like they're thinking of the A-10 = Typhoon,
CF-188 = Spitfire over Northern France circa 1944. Again an unbalanced situation.
The A-10 was effective in Iraq and Afghanistan, in an asymmetric air environment with limited SAM elements,
however they'd be dead meat against a well equipped, professional force. The assumption that 'Allied' forces
will always have air superiority is a dangerous assumption.
The A-10 was used for CAS, but was primarily designed as a tank-killer to stop the Red Hordes, and if the
balloon had gone up in Europe they probably would have been lost in large numbers trying to do that job,
just as the Sturmoviks were lost in large numbers in WWII.