To be fair, modern concept of BVR in a peer level environment is an unknown quality.

Exercises are too artificial – you cannot capture actual experience with them, especially when enemy takes gloves off and is using their EW to their fullest capability.

I can’t believe I got the Viscount and VC-10 confused.

The USMC operates just a single squadron of F/A-18A’s. So, what 95% of the fleet is gone and has been for many many years.

Yep, and they managed to sell a total of about 24 of them. Rest are in the boneyard or scrapped whilst F-16s sold like relative hot cakes.

By the way USMC has 2 squadrons equipped with F/A-18A+:

VMFA-112 Cowboys
VMFA-115 Silver Eagles

VMFAT101 Sharpshooters has mixed fleet as Fleet Training Unit

USN also still operates F/A-18A+:

VFC-12
VFA 204 River Rattlers

VFA 87 recently transitioned from F/A-18A+ to F/A-18C, though this is standard procedure as aircraft were due for servicing following deployment. The A+s will probably be assigned to another squadron.

Sounds like your talking about when the final aircraft is retired of said model. I am talking about a majority of the fleet. I bet if you looked you could find F-14’s, F-15’s, or F-16’s retired. While some F-4’s were still flying………..

Point was more that there will be large number of old F/A-18C/Ds that’ll go much sooner than F/A-18E/F.

Whatever F/A-18E/Fs are retired earlier will probably be too junky for second hand sales as their flight hours have been much higher than anticipated due to combat operations.

That is your opinion………..Nonetheless, my point was if (my opinion) the Super Hornet was retired early. Then secondhand sales were a possibility.

My opinion is supported by the fact of second hand F-16 sales v second hand F/A-18 sales.

Users generally prefer land based platforms that haven’t been battered during carrier ops. Also anyone buying second hand Western fighters is usually too poor to operate medium-large aircraft – again look at sales of used US aircraft and most are lighter aircraft – i.e. since 1990s F-16. Most second hand F-4s were pretty much transferred free as part of Cold War.

Second hand transfers of medium-to-large fighters (F-14, F-15, F/A-18) have been limited to transfer of small number of F-15 to Israel (apparently as payment for not retaliating in Desert Storm), 24 F-15 to Saudi Arabia (during Desert Shield/Storm) and small number of F/A-18s to Spain.

Don’t remember saying anything about an export market for secondhand Hornets in any of my remarks???

To quote you:

“You seem to focus on one thing an hear nothing else??? “

The Super Hornet will likely still be operated in supporting roles or sold secondhand as time goes. Which, has always been the case.

Unfortunately Hornets and ex-USN aircraft in general don’t do well on second hand market due to extensive wear and tear during carrier ops.

So F/A-18 has had one second hand sale to Spain (24 aircraft in 1990s) and that’s it.

USN/USMC F-4B/J/S also only had one second hand sale (to UK for 15 F-4Js in 1980s).

In both cases, users had acquired new build aircraft initially.

Compare that to:

Second hand F-16 sales: Chile, Denmark, Israel, Indonesia, Jordan, Portugal, Romania, Thailand.

Second hand USAF F-4D/E: Egypt, Greece, Israel, South Korea, Turkey.

So unless F/A-18E/F sells to more land based users, it’s second hand export potential is next to nil.

. Brazil is in no position to exercise influence over France by buying Rafale. so whats the point of buying expensive.

That’s the question they have to answer themselves. I think the main goal is probably technology transfer and industrial development as given current and probable future threat levels, Brazil’s F-5s are quite sufficient for the next 20 years.

why would you rely on world banks statistic which is also depended on unreliable 3rd world data. US had 200 million population in 1990. It is now 330m. Brazil had 37 years to go.

I’d sooner trust World Bank stats than vague statements made by people posting on an internet forum.

You also forget USA has a large immigration intake.

Hi, from memory report was referencing Europe only.

Britain has not had all Voyagers delivered.

Forgot about Germany (brings total to 51)

As far as I am aware no other operators fly KC-130s.

14-15 French C-160NGs can be air to air refuellers – brings total to 65-66 a/c.

Even if they scrape up 80 a/c, it was still completely deficient by NATO standards which placed requirement at 200+.

Current equipment (according to Wikipedia – sorry no better source):

24 x MiG-29/UB (older MiGs retired)
33 x Su-25 (apparently upgraded to Scorpion standard)
5 x Su-24
28 x L-39
5 x Il-76
84 x Mi-24/-35
100 x Mi-8/-17.

Investment has been made in various Israeli UAVs (Hermes, Heron, Searcher etc).

Map of country:

Population is about 9 million.