Reinforces other recent articles about the lack of choice for new fighters a few short years from now. Unless new orders keep Eagles and Super Hornets in production, the choices (excluding Russian or Chinese planes) will be down to F35, Rafale, Gripen, T50, or other light fighters based on advanced trainers. Not all of the F35 alternatives are that cheap either. Many hard up forces will probably opt for service life extensions or refurbished buys of F16's, for example. Not that these are bad aircraft by any means but at some time they will have to be replaced.
This really does put an awful lot of pressure on F35 proving a winner. If it isn't, it's very unclear where its operators can go from there, other than to just get on with it. Those countries intending, by design or by chance, to mix their F35 buys with existing types can hedge their bets until they have real life experience of F35 - the UK is one such and the US, especially the USN, another. Those where it is to be 100% of their fighter inventory, well they just have to make it work for them however it turns out in practice.
Perhaps Rafale/Gripen/T50 etc can clean up the market where F35 is unaffordable, but as is being discussed on the thread covering Typhoon's failure in the UAE, military purchasing is often about much more than hardware capabilities. Can French Swedish or Korean offerings really replace US products and, more importantly, political and strategic support? If only my crystal ball wasn't so fogged up, I would know where to place my bet.
LF
Last edited by Lowe Flieger; 21st Dec 2013 at 14:42.
Reason: Typos