So weapon system cost of the F35 is lower that it’s flyaway cost? Intersting 😀

You mixed-up the numbers.

Also, these figures are for the present customers: USAF/USN/USMC + 8 foreign partnes. However, since the F 35 will spell the end of W European A/C industry, a prudent estimation of ~ 4000 F 35 means that the price will go down.

The more you are going to add weapons externally the shorter the range. If you add 6 tons of weapons to your beloved F35 the range will be cut dramatically from the 700NM maximum on internal fuel. Its exactly the same thing as removing external tanks from the Rafale to add weapons instead.

Nic

Then, if in stealth mode, the F 35 has more chances to penetrate modern IADS and in a COIN scenario, both the Rafle anf F 35 can carry the same load, what AFs around the world will prefer: the 150 mil $ rafale or the 90 mil. $ F 35?

Putting words in peoples mouths is extremely unpolite, and I would add that it proves that you are unable to adress my points. Otherwise you wouldn’t need to invent points to reply to.

What I said was:

With appropriate flight profiles and stand off armament I’m quite confident that the Rafale can take on seriously defended foes.

Nic

And I questioned this, unless we are talking about COIN. I wans’t rude.

It could carry a billion tons for all I care, what counts is the combat radius at a similar payload.

F-35A：600 NM／1,100 km （AIM-120*2 + 2,000 Ib JDAM*2） as per toan’s figures is definately nothing spectacular for a plane that flies “clean” and that carries that much fuel!

Nic

This figure is for stealth mode (weapon inside weapon bay). We were talking about an Ass-crapistan scenario. Again, the F 35 can carry ~ 8 ton of weapons and 8.3 ton of fuel. The 9 ton of the rafale should be divided between weapon/ext. fuel.

BS to say the least. With appropriate flight profiles and stand off armament I’m quite confident that the Rafale can take on seriously defended foes.

Yes, if the defender will shot at you with an AK 47, an 100 years old Lee Enfield or throw a rock…

Maybe, not yet achieved. But Mach 1.67 is production standard 240-3.:rolleyes:

That’s AA1 . Now the AF1 is flying.

solid sol-air defense? you mean like one that was simulated in the UAE exercises where rafale did just fine?

Did fine? Like detecting the radars? :p And was there any S 300 in UAE? Because I’m not aware of…

And nationalism/fanboysm aside, which one dio you think would be better of in a strong SAM environment? An F 35 or a Rafale ?