I did the best I could.
There were multiple reports that the “bare aircraft” price was around $101 mil and this did not include the ~$50 mil per “customization” fees, laser targeting pod, or likely wing fuel tanks.
That same “bare aircraft”, ie Flyaway cost, of the F-35A is already under $100 mil and getting cheaper every day.
No. you cannot compare the “under 100 (fake) million dollar” the uspaid with a supposed export price without knowing exactly what is inside. if you want to compare, do, but for e.G. korean F-35, or compare with french senate numbers.
Modern F-16 not included in the comparison?
Anyway I don’t think your government or Air Force will look at it that way.
At least that wasn’t the case in the Netherlands and Norway.
First you will have to look what missions the Ministry of Defence wants the Air Force to be able to perform.
What is their ambition.
Then you will have to look, what missions the Air Force want to perform.
What is their ambition.
If you have consensus on that, now you can look at what aircraft can perform those set of missions with highest possible rate of success and highest chance of survivability.
Then you will buy that particular aircraft.
This is what happened in the Netherlands and I am pretty sure they will do the same in Belgium.
If Belgium has the same ambition (and why not) F-35 will come out on top of that, even if it means you can only have 30 or so.
The F-16 is’t considered anywhere tbh. ust in India as a backoff if LCA MkII would fail. Anw, no RFQ was sent. There was one to US Navy for F-18, but they withdrawed.7
If you take a look at Belgian RFP, missions, ambitions etc. are fairly well described. (including scenarios).
MADL connectivity with allied F-35s & Eurofighters.
MADL connectivity with Eurofighter??? What was tested was only to nsend on L16 data from Madl. And MADL architecture is limited to 4 planes afaik (at least at) and each asset must be described to the MADL net BEFORE operating. Goodby for connecitvity wich, anyway, would nonly be possible within a mixed patrol (extesively rare). Other contenders bring their own tactical datalinks also, be it SAAB on Gripen E and Rafale with F4 standard. All inall, a + for F-35, but very small.
This is what happened in the Netherlands and I am pretty sure they will do the same in Belgium.
If Belgium has the same ambition (and why not) F-35 will come out on top of that, even if it means you can only have 30 or so
Remember the score in Netherland? VERY tight advantage for F-35, and that was before some embarassments…
Sign In
