That would end up at a similar weight class to Gripen/T50 but be an indigenous design…

T-50 is Lockheed design (well some Korean will not like that to be pointed out, but it is basically Lockheed design), thus make it US of A indigenous design. It’s already a kind of small F-16, take a look at the picture below (courtesy of Viggen from Korean site).

Yes, Boeing and SAAB can make some kind reduced Gripen to competed in T-X. However in my view, SAAB then can create marketing risk, when people see Gripen being reduced to LIFT. Perhaps that is why SAAB then put official statement that any potential team up with Boeing on T-X will not be Gripen as trainer. Afterall when they are selling Gripen as state of the art frontline 21st century fighters, perhaps another image of Gripen as LIFT, is not something that they really like to have.

Nothing to watch here! Move away :):

The text is in Swedish, but you can use Google translate to acknowledge that AW hypotesis of the Gripen partecipation to the T-X contest was groundless and SAAB distrusts such spreading of false news.

The article did not clearly stated that SAAB definitely will not teamed with Boeing in T-X, but stated definitely that Gripen will not become a trainer. The original article I think only speculated the ‘airframe’ of Gripen can be scaled down as based for T-X participations if Boeing and SAAB do teamed up.

Gripen for T-X is really no go scenario. It’s simply too expensive. I remembered some thread on T-50 as prime candidate for T-X, and many in this forum already argued that T-50 is simply too expensive and over specs for T-X. Now suddenly this news on speculation of Gripen as based on Boeing T-X proposal, then many who say T-50 is over spec for T-X then put post that glorified Gripen for prime candidate for T-X.

If T-50 considered over specs for a trainer..well Gripen is mega specs for a trainer. Seems some in this forum either have problem with Lockheed or perhaps ROK :dev2:

:dev2:
no combat experience ? JASDF has long genetic soul of Imperial Japanese Army and Navy air force..and ROKAF continue live on the edge of war with the North..That was more woryh experience than bombing goat herder in Afghanistan or Serbs vilage guard..:dev2::very_drunk:

It shows how little Eastern Europe has invested in their airforces. Bare in mind that up to 1991 fighter numbers per airforce were often 300+ and are now down to about 12-14 and for many nothing at all.
.

So ? If that’s your point is, then the answered is simple. Most of them, simply did not and still do not have enough money to modernise their AF. Thus whether it is comming from Russia, Indigenous, or the West, they simply did not and still do not have the money to conduct procurement, even for used ones.

Most of them economically are less then Greece. How they are going to mordenise in this current situation, when most of the rich euro zone it self still in trouble ? After all those eastern European that you mentioned, most of them are depending on the revitalization of the rich west, which will take few years more on the brightest scenario.

Politics asside, most of them seems to choose not to have AF relative to the like the cold war AF anymore (whether sourced from west or russia), simply because they could not afford that.

If can be summarize from various Malaysian sources (media and forum), RMAF will keep their Flankers MKM, seems they quite happy with MKM. It’s the Mig they have problem with. One source that I got indicated Malaysia try to bargain the existing F-18D as ‘downpayment’ for SHornet sq. Seems if they can, they want to replace the Hornet, Mig, and F-5 with one type of whatever win. It will take time, since Malaysian still bargain for better deal. SHornet off course being consideres, but Rafale do seems make aggressive campaigning also. Also SAAB making campaign with RMAF too.

So in couple years ahead, RMAF can be maintaining only 3 types. Flankers MKM, Hawk 200, and whatever going to win as replacement for Hornet, Mig, and F-5. Seems a reasonable portfolio.

Wow! That plane scares me to this day. Just to think how lucky we were that it did not enter production or world war 2 would have ended rather differently.

Won’t made much difference, since it still can’t match ‘in number’ the fighters that came from US, USSR, British factory. In the end the allies simply swallowed Luftwaffe defense by sheer number of planes.

Their F-5Es are too old. By the time such an upgrade could be developed & delivered, there’d not be enough life left for the aircraft. Rebuilding them to make them last long enough for it to be worthwhile would cost too much. It’d be cheaper to buy up Sweden’s spare Gripen A/Bs & upgrade them, or stored F-16s, or even new F/A-50 from S. Korea or JF-17 from China.

*So Brazil might be able to buy a few more secondhand F-5Es & upgrade them to F-5EM standard.

If Brazil still want to upgrade surplus F-5E, then perhaps they will be the only one left in the world. The rest, just like you says found it much to uneconomical to do. For example, Indonesia being offered by ROK to take some ex ROKAF F-5E for free, in order to augment dwindling F-5E within Indonesian AF inventory. The idea is to take some of them to augment existing F-5E sq operational up to 2020+, when KFX expected to be available as replacement. However, technical inspection found out, that taking those ex ROKAF F-5E, need substantial modification to make it operational up to 2020+. Thus economically its more preferable just take some surplus F-16 in the market, upgrade them to run for another decade or so.

That’s what facing upgrade program for F-5E/F. Many other more economical alternatives available, thus replacing them entirely with surpluses refurbished F-16, Gripen or even M2000 or Mig 29 can be more attractive for existing users of F-5E /F.

Why resurrect Cheetah? They can’t afford to operate Gripens so it’s not like they’ll be able to afford Cheetahs (especially with a thirsty turbojet). They can’t even afford to fly A109 light helicopters and part of the training syllabus has been switched to Cessnas because they can’t afford to operate PC-7s in that role.

12 of the Cheetahs have been sold to Ecuador.

Well perhaps with the money they got on selling those Gripen, they can used it to resurrect at least a sq of Cheetah. I know is a long shoot, and I don’t know the conditions of Atlas as Aircraft facility presently, however with Cheetah badically being remanufactured in Atlas to begin with, perhaps overall operating Cheetah again still made SAF at least able to maintain 1 sq of fast jets operational.

What I’m getting at, the money from Gripen sale can be used to restructured SAF budget and by then SAF can still be operational as respectable AF (for sub sahara Africa at least).