We’ll have to wait until Brazil and Saab see fit to release the details, but it will be hard to tell how much go to what. We know that it must include some logistical support, but we don’t know how much and how long, for example. We know that it includes some IP, but I don’t think we’ll ever know how the IP is priced, etc. We currently have no idea how much weaponry is included there. Etc.
So you say that that it was as high as Rafale’s offer. It is also higher than the supposed $4.5 billion that FAB originally said. FAB says that it’s due to negotiations regarding updates in the design, but they are not saying what those updates are. Do we know what the updates are? We don’t. Do we know whether Rafale would need those updates had it been chosen? We don’t know because we don’t know what those updates are. If Rafale ends up needing those updates, how much will the price go up? We don’t know, because we don’t know what those updates are. If we don’t know about the details we can’t really say much about the cost beyond “that’s a lot of money” and that isn’t very useful, because it isn’t about whether it’s a lot of money or not (defense isn’t cheap, it always requires a lot of money), but what Brazil is getting for that money.
Mind you, I would love it if Brazil gives us more details. That’s why I check this thread every day.
well, as I see it, you have no idea what has gone into the contract which leads to a unit cost of $150 million per Gripen E. And while the cost of support and initial maintenance contracts will likely be included in the total cost, these also have to be taken into account when talking about whether a particular aircraft is affordable or not.
I don’t see any hints at weapons being included in this contract cost, although there is a high likelihood that there will be other equipment included such as recon pods, laser designators and such. Perhaps integration related costs for Brazilian weapons, but no separate weapons packages seem to have been included, although that is a gut feeling for me, just as your reply is also based purely on gut feel.
The only cost that I would say can be discounted for other possible customers is the cost of transfer of technology. But for any other prospective customer, the $150 million per unit figure will be the the ball park figure. Even if you remove those costs, and say that works out to $50 million per unit (too high, but just assume that), that’s shaving $1.8 billion off the contract cost, which still works out to $100 million per unit. Still VERY STEEP for a single engine light-medium weight fighter.
It definitely isn’t the affordable solution that it is touted to be. F/A-18 E/F would cost less to acquire, going by the RAAF acquisition of 24 Super Hornets.
Sign In
