But nobody has read the”EVALUATION REPORT SWITZERLAND” where the Gripen are behind the F/A18C/D in all areas…?

lol

The point is no JSF Partner has left the program nor cancelled any orders.

lol

Also, while some want to “bash” the F-35’s high price. They seem to forget the F-22, Typhoon, Rafale, PAK-FA, and Strike Eagle are hardly “cheap”. With only the Raptor coming anywhere near the capabilities of the F-35.

lol

Guys you just need to replace ‘SPECTRA’ in your discussion with ‘ALR-94’ and then hopsalot will espouse of his own accord how ESM can generate firing solutions on dozens of Sukhois simultaneously. :p

reducing total orders (which don’t exist yet) doesn’t not imply reducing production rate.

In contrast to F-35 where production rates are being reduced whilst planned orders remain static, implying an elongation of production timeline to the extent that we can expect the first airframes to be retiring before the last roll off the line. :p

This reduction in total Rafale numbers for AdA is precisely the sort of ‘engagement with reality’ that is nowhere to be found in the F-35 program — where Australia is still ordering ‘up to 100’ JSFs, US still 2500, etc. — and is yet another example of the contrast between the responsibly managed program that is Rafale and the complete debacle that is JSF.

The fact that one can use such optimistic cost projections and still arrive at the conclusion that F-35 = ruinous says something of itself I think.

For small countries like Norway it is unrealistic to have an independent, credible defence — thus one needs to be part of an alliance like NATO.

Wrong and wrong again — see Switzerland, or even Sweden. But then I guess the vassal mentality comes as easily to Norway as it does Australia.

IIRC one of the observations made during the Libya intervention was that once air defences had been depleted missions could have been undertaken at much lower cost had such aircraft been available. Once enemy air defences have been dealt with you are spending much more than needed using F-35, Typhoon, Rafale to strike, aren’t you?

“It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should become too fond of it.” — Robert E. Lee

War should be expensive.

40% of original requirement filled. I suspect that’s fairly representative of what we’ll see going forward, incl. for the United States.