Salute!
I don't know what this new guy is thinking. There could be more politics in there than we "proles" know about.
As far back as the late 90's and the JSF flyoff, and being in the bidness back then, plus staying connected with state of the art weapon development and ...... I do not know of anyone who thot the JSF was gonna be cheaper than the F-16, The goal was to reduce overall DoD acquisition/support budget that is not possible with three new planes and all their logistics tail. Despite misgivings by many of us after the TFX debacle back in the 60's, the doggone thing seems to have worked, despite adding an array of new equipment and computer technology.
The current acquisition cost ( unit cost the way DoD figures it, which is not a simple amount of $$$ at the production facility) of the F-35 is extremely competitive with the latest block Vipers. And those things are not LO and do not have the "friendly folks" coordination capability that the F-35 provides.
A bare bones Viper would be a real bargain for the "low end" of capability in the modern arena. Its aerodynamic capability would be damned good, and it could carry and effectively employ many new weapons. The logistical infrastructure/supply lines would already be there, making operational costs low. But it would still not have the overall capabilty of the F-35.
... Gums sends...
Last edited by gums; 18th Feb 2021 at 15:33.