The same situation with USAF trainers, Im sure they could replace the T-37 and the T-38 tomorrow, but newer trainers do not offer anything the T-37 or T-38 dont already do well.

USAF is expected to issue the T-X RFP … well, right about now actually. M-346 and T-50 will almost certainly be two contenders to fulfil the requirement.

Per Sweetman JSF LRIP-9 is 108 aircraft vs. 28 Super Hornets in FY 2012.

actually, considering the rafale would be a good alternative, but that probably won’t ever happen, even if the F-35 is cancelled, if for any reason, a commercial one:

the british have an aircraft to sell, and buying a direct competitor (even if it’s a specific version that doesn’t exist for the typhoon) would obviously be seen as an excellent selling argument for the rafale, and eventually complicate future typhoon potential exports

If Britain did buy Rafale I imagine it would be in return for something else, i.e. France buying a carrier or something.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if it was as simple as all that I’m sure it would’ve been done already. Why wouldn’t Boeing show the SHornet carrying weapons pods on the wings if they could handle the load? And if they can’t, what makes you think F-35 can?

Australian F-35 review was a sham

The Age

THE official review used by federal Labor to justify its commitment to the multibillion-dollar US Joint Strike Fighter project was just a public relations exercise, according to comments by former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon in secret talks with his American counterpart.

Mr Fitzgibbon candidly told US Defence Secretary Robert Gates in February 2008 that the Air Combat Capability Review of Australia’s future air power he had announced a week earlier was driven by domestic politics and was unlikely to produce any result other than acquisition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, marketed by Lockheed Martin.

According to US embassy cables obtained by WikiLeaks and provided exclusively to The Age, Mr Fitzgibbon made the admissions at a morning coffee session during the annual Australia-US Ministerial Meeting (AUSMIN) in Canberra.

I’d prefer to see Australian cancel JSF and opt for more Super Hornets, taking advantage of the roadmap. The threat environment through 2025 is benign enough that SHornets will suffice till then, and post-2030 who wants to be relying on F-35s anyway? I’ll take NGAD thanks.

Another relevant point is that in projects where classified information is involved, US RfPs can rule out companies under foreign ownership or that would use foreign subcontractors.

So far as I understand it the proposal is for AVIC to deliver an essentially stock AC-313 airframe to the American partner, who will then modify it to fit requirements, i.e. at the point that classified stuff is involved, there is no foreign involvement.