so they are using their f-16 patterns on the eagles.
glad they didnt stick with that blue angels looking theme

From 16 TA-50 Indonesian AF ordered, 6 will be with the Aerobatic Team colours (reminiscences to blue angels patern), while the rest 10 will be on F-16 paterns. Same thing as KT-1B, where some of them also used red and white paterns for Aerobatic Team, whike the rest used grey scheme patern.

Indonesian AF then will have 2 aerobatic team, one with KT-1B called Jupiter, while the other called Blue Hawk will used TA-50. The Blue Hawk used to operated F-16. Some sense seems back to Indonesian AF on not used their ‘very limited’ front line Fighters as Aerobatic Team.

if this happens… it could be the first of a flood of

Singapore – possibility for replacing remaining F5s

.

Singapore ? They already replace their F-5 with F-15SG and F-16 Block 52…no place for FA-50..While their LIFT already used M-346..T-50 already history when that Italian LIFT beat them.

now that janes has revealed the Koreans are basically going for a glorified F-16 variant with side intakes and faceted fueselage

Is still better then F-16 block 15 OCU MLU or F-16 block 25 MLU (CUPID/Combat Upgrades Plan Integrations Details) that are and will be the back bone of Indonesian AF up to 2020+. Even with that singgle engine configuration, that KFX will provide valuable learning curve for Indonesian.

Besides that single engine design is more realistic on getting the project within the plan budget and targeted price range.

had the IDF been equipped with mirage 2000s and F-2s instead,
I am not sure if they could’ve pulled off Osirak.

Then, Israel would made confirmed order for Mirage 4000..

The Korean design gets worse and worse.
they should just swallow their pride and work with the Indians on AMCA already. its pretty much what they wanted in the first place anyways.

Why worse ? Why AMCA ? With this current economic conditions continue in Asia, I don’t think India can afford AMCA. The main design still there, but KAI just preparing fall back design. India did not, and still put a believe that they can finish a design like AMCA on their own. Like I said, under current economic condition in Asia, nobody except China can do it alone on a 5th gen twin engine design.

Problem is, the Super Tucano is neither mighty nor very economical. $12-20 million for a 280 knot aircraft with a range of only 780nm and 4 weapons pylons (the centerline pylon will always be used to carry extra fuel)… that’s a lot of buck for not much .

The price tag depends on which electronics modules you want to put it. Still even that price tag, I don’t this Textron Scorpion can do much better than that. Fully equiped, I believe potentialy higher than that.

Again the Economical of Super Tucano, is due to operational costs. How this Textron Scorpion with twin turbofan can compete operational cost wise with singgle turboprop ? Mighthy, because for the price and operational cost wise, Super Tucano can do much and more as ‘COIN’ fighters need to be. Super Tucano will not and need not pretend more than what it is, a COIN fighter.

Now, this Scorpion yes can be perfect replacement for A-37 and OV-10. Still under current situations, will Pentagon bankrolled it ? A-37 and OV-10 become economical because there’s huge need for them by then US, due to Vietnsm and Indochina conflict. The surplus of OV-10 and A-37 become handily available in the 70’s for US to supply the choosen third world nation. Unless the same situation happen, and US once again become ‘Uncle Nick’ handing over surplus toys like in the 70’s, then those OV-10 and A-37 operators will choose Super Tucano…not because no other Fighters that can out match Super Tucano..but because it simply meet their ‘operstional budgets’ for the job they expect to do for…which is mostly COIN.

No, in fact the turboprop is only marginaly cheaper. A military operator won’t even notice the cost difference.

Let’s compare two very similar civilian platforms: the PC-12 (6,500lb light turboprop) versus the Citation Jet 4 (10,000lb twin turbofan). Critics will complain that the CJ4 guzzles fuel and has two engines. And indeed, it at first blush it costs twice as much per flight hour: $1,800 vs. $750. BUT, the CJ4 flies 50% faster and 30% farther than the PC-12. Once you adjust for the jet’s much shorter block times, the cost difference is reduced to only $500 per hour.

Now $500/hr may be a big deal in the civilian world, but it’s peanuts for a military operator. The overall mission cost will be dominated by all the other factors like pilot training, avionics maintenance and weapons costs. Not to mention that the jet’s extra speed, payload, range and survivability makes it much more useful.

IMHO that’s why this annoucnement is a big deal. We have a potential Super Tucano killer.

No..it will not be potential Super Tucano Killer..it will be potentialy ‘killed’ by Super Tucano..

Who’s the market for this one..? First class AF..? Who can considered the difference of maintanance of turboprop and turbofan as insignificance like you say ? No..they will not even bother to take a look on this class of fighters.

It’s the third world market that is the potential market..and for them operating COIN like Super Tucano will provide them with state of the art COIN fighters, in the turboprop operational cost. For that market..the difference on operational costs that you think insignificance..is a real deal matter for most of 3rd world military operators.

It’s interesting concept, but the truth is no big market for twin turbofan COIN fighters. A single engine turboprop with decent electronics and sensors can provide most of the COIN and recce jobs that this fighters offered, with more economical operational costs.

Btw, for Hawk 200, Indonesian AF as the biggest operators of Hawk 200 actualy was not interested with the Fighters. The contract in the 90’s happen only because the BAE ‘agent’ make sweet deal with then Indonesia ‘dictactor’ family. So with less dictactor in third world right now, you can see the effort to sell that as ‘light fighters’ will increasingly facing much less demand.

The only thing left is COIN market..well then it faced the mighty and yet economical Super Tucano…well a good market prospect for this one.