The Saudis received 48 T2 and 24 T3.

And Saudi T3 Typhoons are built with CFT mounting points. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gigisani/37899146452/
There’s pics of Saudi Typhoons with and without the mounts, I imagine those without are all T2 airframes, those with are all T3. IIRC, only T3 are CFT capable, but don’t have to be, like German, Italian and Spanish jets.

For decades, the Marines have used rolling vertical landings to keep the harrier’s engine inlet ahead of the debris kicked up by the exhaust plume.
That landing technique should work for F-35B too.

Debris here mainly referring to dust and dirt I suppose. Compared to the Harrier, F-35s exhaust is:
– more powerful
– hotter
– closer to the ground
Hence the possibility of ripping up concrete and not just blowing up some dust. While the first F-35 will do fine with a rolling landing, you’d have to clean the pad afterwards and check for concrete FOD. I’m just speculating of course but I wouldn’t be surprised if there won’t be STOVL ops from unprepared areas.

At least some of the 12th Air Force would have reinforced units in UK.

Some as in F-111s? Or were there plans to send Holloman Eagles to the UK? Also, what about 9th AF F-15 squadrons?
I can imagine F-15 units were to be sent to continental Europe. But by the time they would have arrived there, UK might have been the preferred location.

@ Al.: no need to apologize. Surely the UK based aggressors attracted a lot of deployments from F-15 units and others. Like here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alec_blyth/6225479418

Here I have to disagree. It is imho the perfect choice for a small to medium sized country without any aspirations for expeditionary warfare. Just remember the buzzwords from the timefrime: BVR, look down/shoot down radar, digital flight control. Yep, ticks all the boxes except air2air refuelling, which is a non issue for a defensive doctrine. By 1985 it even had a fully operational data link.

For A/A, sure. But A/G is pretty limited. The big rocket pods, BK 90 Mjölner and Rbs 15 are nice. But no heavy bombs, no LGBs or other PGMs. Just old TV Mavericks.

For a single fighter choice, F/A-18 for multirole capability, but it’s a “jack of all trades and master of none” type solution. If I had to choose two aircraft options, in my view an upgraded F-5E Tiger II with Link 16, IFR, IRST, and a better radar would provide a purely A2A solution, but only when working alongside integrated AEWAC support. The A2G roles would be for the F-4E Pantom II, again essentially as a single role aircraft. However, both these platforms were mature and cost effective solutions in the 80s in my view, and they had gone through enough upgrade and development options to make them very effective at their specific roles.

Ah, but an F-5E with Link 16 and IRST does not exist. And using the poor Tigers with basic radar and AIM-9 only for air/air while the all-weather/BVR F-4Es only do A/G? The F-4/F-5 is very much a hi-lo mix, not an A2A/A2G mix. The F-4E is not a single role aircraft.
But the main issue is: why even select F-4Es. The Hornet is superior in pretty much every way. Also in a two type force with Tigers.

F-15 and F-117.

Interesting choice!

2. F-5E Tiger II and F-4 Phantom

Why?
F-5E and F-18 is superior. Or F-20 and F-18, they share the same engine even. F-20 was more or less ready afaik. If my country is Switzerland, I’d seriously consider this combo.

A bit more expensive: F-15C/F-18
Even more: F-111F and F-15C. I’ll take it.

The Saab 37 family imho isn’t really well suited to work outside the Swedish context. Attack versions are very limited in weapon options. The JA 37 fighter version is ok as a fighter but the F-15 is better.
Mirage 2000C is comparable to F-15C in versatility but again the F-15C is better. Maybe in a hi-lo-mix, but then F-15/F-16 makes more sense.

Didn’t know Mirage 4000 IOC’d before 1990…

My choice:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]258964[/ATTACH]
Who cares about multi-role. I can keep my F-4Es from the 70s, right? I’ll equip them with targeting pods for precision attacks. Replace them with F-15Es during the 90s. For general ground attack, F-15C is fine:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]258965[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]258966[/ATTACH]

@ SpudmanWP: thanks for the clarification.

Meanwhile in Austria: Former minister of defence has allegedly requested changes to the cost calculations to make sure EF comes out as most expensive in his report. The results of the first draft weren’t to the minister’s liking. https://m.kurier.at/politik/inland/eurofighter-ist-ausstieg-doch-ein-fehler/310.298.852
So expect EFs to stay in Austria… at least until after 2023 or so when another gov. will be at the helm.