The Typhoon is very capable but it is also very expensive to operate — just look at the leaks from Switzerland, for instance, or the reports coming from Germany.

Gripen C would have been the perfect fit for Austria. Hungary and Czhechia are both operating Gripen C at a shoestring budget, and with very high availability. They are even able to support QRA missions to the Baltics and Iceland, and at the same time maintain QRA in their home country!

Regarding Arexis:

The systems include a new advanced electronic attack jammer pod, Saab said in a press release. It can protect aircraft strike formations from low-frequency radars is on display at a defense and security exhibition in Britain.

Arexis’ core technologies are ultra-wideband digital receivers and digital radio frequency memory devices, as well as gallium nitride solid state active electronically scanned array jammer transmitters and interferometric direction finding systems.

For the advanced electronic attack application, the technologies are adapted to the lower frequency ranges needed to jam modern anti-stealth air defense systems.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2017/09/14/Saabs-Arexis-family-of-EW-products-in-final-development/2431505406446/

So the pod is clearly for more than just self-protection…

Did Boeing elaborate on what they found to be unfair?

Brigitte Juniti Saito, former commander of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) between 2007 and 2015, has cleared former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of any participation in the purchase of 36 Gripen fighter jets from the Swedish company SAAB. Lula is accused by the Federal Public Prosecutor of alleged traffic of influence, money laundering and criminal organization.

In a statement to Judge Vallisney Oliveira of the 10th Judicial Court of Brasília, Saito said that the purchase of the Gripen NG was a “technical decision of the Aeronautics Command”. He cites the “best conditions to transfer technology” and lower costing of aircraft over 30 years.
The military man from the reserve testified as a witness to the defense of Lula and his son, Luis Claudio Lula da Silva, who is also guilty in the case, as well as Mauro Marcondes Machado and Cristina Mautoni Marcondes Machado.
Juniti Saito also denied Lula’s alleged interference with the results of the F-X2 program, which provided for the modernization of FAB’s military aircraft. “He respected our opinion, right. I believe he had some preference with the French … the Rafale,” Saito said when asked by Lula’s lawyer, Jose Roberto Batochio.

Google translated from: https://www.brasil247.com/pt/247/brasilia247/311184/Ex-chefe-da-Aeron%C3%A1utica-nega-participa%C3%A7%C3%A3o-de-Lula-na-compra-de-ca%C3%A7as.htm

Malaysia shelves plan to buy new fighter jets, says defence source

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-shelves-plan-to-buy-new-fighter-jets-says-defence-source

Will be interesting to see which surveillance system they will go for — and also interesting to see when they will restart the fighter competition. My guess: in 2020 or so.

You talk about the US, and then you talk about Airbus and Dassault?

I am sure France can do it — however F-35 no doubt will be ranked higher on the technical score than the Rafale; and this, in combination with a lower price and the fact that the US and most NATO countries will operate the F-35, and the fact that the F-35 will be compatible with the nukes that the Belgians are storing makes this into a no-brainer.

Also please note that the Swedes did not say that they were not able to offer the support, but rather that they prefer not to, since it may force them to go into conflicts that they otherwise would not have entered into. I hope you see the difference.

Austria plans to end its Eurofighter jet program early and replace it with a cheaper alternative fleet of aircraft bought or leased from another government, its defense minister said on Friday, amid a legal battle over the jets with Airbus (AIR.PA).

The defense ministry said in a statement that Austria’s 15 Eurofighter jets could be phased out from 2020. The continued use of the Eurofighter planes for 30 years – the normal life span of such jets – would cost up to 5 billion euros, largely for maintenance.

The head of export and international relations at Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Joakim Wallin, said the FMV supplied Austria last month with pricing and technical information about 18 Saab (SAABb.ST) JAS Gripen fighter jets.
“We expect to hear from them again after the summer,” Wallin told Reuters, referring to a potential deal that could see Saab sell the planes to the FMV which would sell them to Austria. He declined to give details on the price quoted.

Austria has also spoken with U.S. officials about its interest in the U.S.-built F-16 fighter jet, made by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the largest arms maker in the world, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Full story: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-austria-eurofighter-idUSKBN19S0ZN

I assume they have asked for C/D and not E/F…

SA use their Gripens to stalk Rhino poachers:

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/11753/south-africas-gripen-fighter-jets-will-stalk-rhino-poachers

The article also quotes a cost of 6-8k USD per flight hour however also says that the journo does not know what is actually included in that number.