I agree there are very few developing countrys who want to buy the F-16 even though its the most cost effective fighter on the market. That leaves russian jets most often bought used as the only real alternative. Although these russian jets have capable performance, things like lack of range, high operating costs and inferior systems make this a second runner to the F-16. As has been mentioned about the T/A-50, US arms restrictions as well as no real cost advantage over the F-16 means that the US will have to greatly subsidize this jet for those who are willing to buy it. There is a need for a low cost fighter, a fighter that is as cheap and simple to operate as third generation fighters, but takes advantage of engine and airframe advances of forth generation fighters. The FC-1 looks to be the only fighter capable of filling this nitch, I see this jet as being equal to the F-20 tigershark, but at an affordable price. I believe the engine will be a bit maintenaince intensive for this jet, but if the airframe is cheap and reliable, then I think they may pull this off.

Latin America- Most the countrys are just getting by with their old junk like mirages. Brazil is buying su-30s, Argentina is buying some F-16s. Venezuela already has F-16s and Peru is doing ok with its M2Ks and mig-29s. Mexico is sort of a toothless giant with only 10 F-5s, but its not under any serious threat either, so I could see them buying L-159s rather than the big expense of used F-16s or russian fighters. Colombia has its hands full in its war on drug/rebels, so their not buying any fancy fighters. A capable low cost fighter in the 15 million range could be a huge success in replacing all the mirage/kfir junk alot of these AFs are kicking it with.

Asia- I dont think I have to comment about countrys like Japan, Korea, India, China. But southeast asian countrys like Indonisia and Malaysia can afford to buy decent hardware, most the rest are emerging or poor and not ready to spend the 25 million or so for either F-16 or russian jets. A low cost fighter is needed for these countrys.

Both nothern and subsaharan africa have in the past bought mainly russian hardware, as there is no longer cheap russian fighters on the market, only a few can manage to keep old or newer used russian fighters operational. If a low cost fighter like the FC-1 meets expectations, it will be a big seller here.

mixtex, the F-5E is a joke, it’s an old airframe, old avionics, old radar and everything, it’s just old. This would be like putting the Mig-21 back into production. Do you see what you’re saying.

You need something newer and better like FC-1 over F-5E/Mig-21.

I certainly don’t see why FC-1 is a big question mark, I think we’re all 100% sure it will be bought by Pakistan, not sure about China but possibly.

Ill accept the F-5 as being in the same class of fighter as the mig-21, but its no joke as a fighter. Remember what holds back the mig-21 as being a capable fighter is mainly its lack of range. The F-5 has huge range, its also is cheaper to operate and easier to maintain than the mig-21. Answere me this, is the mig-29 cheap to operate? The FC-1 will use the same engine as the mig-21, so I dont see how AFs who cant commit to the well proven mig-29 airframe are going to opt for the FC-1. At best I see the FC-1 as a very affordable F-20 tigershark, aerodynamically its got nothing over the F-5. The fact that the USAF and many other AFs around the world are keeping the T-38 in service shows that this is an extremely cost effective jet despite that modern advanced trainers are available.

Hey, thats what you need to do Srbin, instead of posting your drawings of those tailess stealth delta fighters, you should design a cheap fighter like the FC-1 or F-5. Now that would sell well.

Obviously countrys like Argentina arent going to buy block 60s. A barebones F-16 is a hellava fighter by any standard, and can match anything performancewise. Figher costs are a clowdy subject, and different AFs pay drasticaclly different prices compared to eachother. I think its safe to say that the F-16 and T/F-50 are within 10 million of eachother. Ive seen plenty of sources that mention the F-16 being recently sold new for 25 million, exactly equal to the T/A-50. Simply stated, the gripen, A/T-50 and F-16 are too complex for 3rd world AFs. Be serious for a moment, can you really see sub-saharan african nations operating something like the gripen which you keep trying to claim as being MUCH simpler than the F-16? No ofcourse not, its a joke to even consider. Could these same countrys buy and operate the F-5 which is almost in the same league as the PC-9/Tucano type turboprops in aquisition and operating costs? Yes, that they can do.

The issue of teenage single moms is a sticky issue because there is so much hidden agendas and false piosity. Let me start off with the obvious, many teenage girls want to be moms, and the babyboomer generation of parents support and even want their daughter to be single moms. All this stuff about who is responcible is most often alot of crocadile tears to make the situation look like it was all an unplanned accident. Im not going to be judgemental and say, no, teenage girls shouldnt be mothers. I think any woman should have the right to be a single mom, there is no reason a woman should have to depend on a man or be in a relationship with a man to have a baby (even though I think thats the best way).
The other issue about parents having to be informed of a daughters pregnancy or intent to have an abortion is a difficult problem which I dont have any easy answere for.

Im quite happy to say I never got hooked on cigarettes even though Ive tried them, although I dont really hold in the smoke in my lungs the same way serious smokers do. I feel very sorry for people who are addicted to cigarettes as I think its really a nasty habit to smoke all day. I wish they would do more genetic engineering with tobaco plants as Im convinced that genetic engineering will bring castastrofic damage onto some type of species, Id like that species that gets wiped out to be the tobaco plant. Smoking has been decreasing greatly in the US, its sad to see it increasingly used here in Mexico by the youth.

From Flight Int.:
“The Indian air force is to install up to 18 Thales-supplied low-level transportable radars along its border with Pakistan to detect low-flying aircraft and unmanned air vehicles……..India’s Bharat Electronics is seeking to licence-manufacture the radars.”
All looks like a low level chase. Catch me, if you can. But first you have detect me. 9 of 10 sorties, the attackers were spotted after the attack and out of reach. “Dogfight-capability” is of limited use there. Does the EW-suit of the attckers outsmart the AAMs of the defenders?

Dogfight capability is by no means of limited use. It simply means that BVR capabilitys of fighters is of limited use where ground radar has total coverage. The India/Pakistan border will be a GCI combat envirornment. Why would you rely on the tiny of coverage of your own aircrafts radar when ground radar network already has the entire countrys border under complete coverage?

Airframe heating becomes a huge factor at Mach 3, which is why the SR-71 is made entirely out of Titanium and the Foxbat is made entirely out of steel.