Tiffy gonna walk away with the Japanese contract, you heard it here first. 😎

American jets, Russian jets, French jets … all made in China!

Someone should tell the local council & local newspaper. It’d be nice to see ’em demanding the name is kept.

Done. 🙂

The plan is to have nearly as much MRCA as the Su 30s. A recent report suggested an order of 260 (eventually), in that case the Gripen makes the most sense.

The IAF’s budget by the time MMRCA order is complete will probably be double what it is today. They can afford it.

curious, i send defense specialised sources, and you send your own “maths”!

Gripen C is 68$m fly away as reported into the polish bid, i doubt Gripen NG can be cheaper as the tiny Saab traders screams out actually! as your assemption on Jobim “bias” or credibility, he is among the few of ex gov in brazil, this tells more about credibility support it has from political and military responsables!
and when he says that Rafale is at same price as Gripen, 6$b it means lower than SH and Rafale isn’t a demonstrator plane that production people even never ever saw it on the paper,with costs never seriously evaluated

By all accounts Gripen’s excellent value for money comes largely from its low operating costs rather than acquisition cost. I doubt that Rafale can compete in that regard.

What are the chances of Australia at some point taking over a 2nd Bay class? 2 LHD + 2 LPD isn’t too bad relative to 3 LHD.

Not very likely I think. As I mentioned earlier, the 2 LHD + Largs Bay arrangement will represent a quantum leap over existing capabilities. Hell, right now Largs Bay alone represents a quantum leap over existing capabilities! Also I imagine New Zealand’s recently acquired HMNZS Canterbury figures into the force structure planning picture in some fashion also.

I use the word intent because my understanding is that sea trials are still required. if thats not the case and we have bid for it…. and won…who else was bidding?

Canada and Chile were two other nations interested in it as I recall, maybe some others too; but who knows how it all actually went down. I take your point about the sea trials, just that it could’ve been read merely as Australia offering Britain $100m for the ship which isn’t really news as our interest in it has been known for some time now. The news is that the Brits have apparently agreed to sell it to us for that price.

It does seem rather cheap. What is that … an F-35? 😮

I guess crewing/operational costs predominate for these kinds of vessels.

maybe an alternative would be to build a third LHD in australia as an eventual replacement for the Largs Bay??? I believe it would be the largest warship ever built in Australia….

The two LHDs + Largs Bay will already represent a quantum leap over existing capabilities, given other funding pressures I think a third LHD is unlikely. I’d rather a fourth Hobart-class destroyer in any case. 😀

India has too much on its plate to handle Typhoon development alone, even if it wanted to. Japan is the only real hope for the continued evolution of the platform.