Switzerland asked for 60% offsets going to their BIT

https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises…ir-773068.html

Good luck to F-35…

This has been discussed already when the RFI was out: if I remind correctly, maintenance and fleet sustainement can be part of the offset calculation which would make in 20year (my mem only) quite an easy sum to balance… This is very different from the MMRCA in India

Correction: it’s 30years and this was even stated at the bottom of the article:

la Suisse évaluera la participation industrielle directe ou programme industriel (étendue et qualité). Surtout, elle prendra en compte aussi bien les coûts d’acquisition des systèmes que les coûts d’exploitation pendant une durée d’utilisation de 30 ans. En revanche, elle ne prendra pas en compte les coûts des éventuels programmes de modernisation ou de maintien de la performance ainsi que les frais de mise hors service.
—————————————-

Switzerland will evaluate direct industrial participation or industrial program (scope and quality). Above all, it will take into account both system acquisition costs and operating costs over a 30-year period of use. On the other hand, it will not take into account the costs of any modernization or performance maintenance programs as well as the costs of decommissioning.

:rolleyes:

See the US Air Force’s new combat rescue helo fly for the first time

A Lockheed Martin subsidiary’s combat rescue helicopter took to the skies for the first time Friday.

The HH-60W helicopter — one of two that Sikorsky fully assembled — flew from the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida, test facility, the company said.

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy 112 HH-60W helicopters to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk.

Source:
https://www.defensenews.com/“]Defense News.com[/url]

If they can get some new Typhoon at an even lower price (F-16-70), there is no doubt that they should go for that option… And add a performance contract.

Don’t forget the industrial perspective. The 1990’s F15E might have been an early CAD airframe. And true must it be with the late F-15S. It’s way more easy and economical to start anything new in engineering when you have the proper 3D models, including repairs and parts manufacturing.
F-16 is a CATIA V4 airplane for example. I have no doubts that starting with the E as a base, the X would be an entirely better modeled airframe easier to keep updated and maintain.

Yes, Secdef is from Boeing but the aspect ratio here is that he comes from the industry. What plagues mostly the AIr force today are operational cost and aging fleet sustainment. It makes sens to have a professional sourced from those industries that work the most with the DoD.
Is there any bia? Well, I am confident that DoJ won’t stand at rest if anything cross their bull eye.

Again, there are some (few) advantages to not live in a Banana republic: one is to have some latitude how to best reach your projected goals.

Airbus’s “Chorizo Picante” doomed for… basic design failure*:

“We have not used the ducts not so much for propulsive efficiency or anything like that. We use the ducts primarily to protect personnel,” said Gaffney, a veteran of decades of military helicopter programs. “Running around at night in the dark — Army operations, probably half of them at least are in time of darkness … if you have an open propeller, someone could walk into it.”

Source:
BreakingDefense New.com

Read:
https://www.verticalmag.com/news/air…-fara-program/

Vivid green is great. But tell us, was there a 1965 Chrisler parked aside?

5 on 5:

Indian perspective: what do do of Pakistani’s Rafale pilots?

It is quite obvious that Pakistani pilots will fly all these aircraft being procured by Qatar. It is irrelevant whether they have been trained in France on the Rafale. In all likelihood, they would have. We must factor this in our calculations.

Source:
https://www.deccanherald.com/