Slater Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Presumably price will be the critical factor here?: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-set-to-vote-on-multi-billion-fighter-jet-purchase/46057020 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Or offsets? Or capability? Somehow I still can't see the need for the offensive oriented F-35... though I fear.... My 2cents: For max air defence capability it should be Typhoon For max operational capability and cooperation probably Rafale And for stealth F-35 obviously... Superhornet comes last but for synergies with the current fleet... So mybe a split buy? 24 Rafales now and whatever the F-35/akternatives to it then in 15 years? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 Seems Like Gripen E/F would have been a reasonable option, but apparently that's not on the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 1 hour ago, exdraken said: My 2cents: For max air defence capability it should be Typhoon For max operational capabiity and cooperation probably Rafale And for stealth F-35 obviously... Superhornet comes last but for synergies with the cutrent fleet... I agree with all this - I'll be watching the bid with interest 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 59 minutes ago, Slater said: Seems Like Gripen E/F would have been a reasonable option, but apparently that's not on the table. i agree, as was the Gripen with Austria 20 years ago... second problem with Gripen apart from not fully complying with the requirements (not being operational at time of bids) is that it was already declined once by the Swiss public... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 The last time around, about ten years ago, apparently the Swiss considered that the Typhoon was the only aircraft that met their requirements. Not just military, but in terms of environmental and noise restraints as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 25 minutes ago, Truro Model Builder said: The last time around, about ten years ago, apparently the Swiss considered that the Typhoon was the only aircraft that met their requirements. Not just military, but in terms of environmental and noise restraints as well. Environmentally friendly reheat 🤣 That said, in line with the Clean Sky aims, European aircraft are gradually switching to much more environmentally friendly materials and processes - chrome plating for example, isn't being used anywhere near as much by Airbus, etc, Boeing still use plenty of chrome (at least they did when I started in the industry a few years ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) Didn't take long for the US State Department to clear the way for any potential purchase (including Patriot): https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/switzerland_20-35.pdf https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/switzerland_20-34.pdf https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/switzerland_20-43.pdf Edited September 30, 2020 by Slater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Looking at those notifications, I would like to know how on earth forty Super Hornets with associated gubbins can cost $7.45 billion, but forty F-35As come in at $6.58 billion. Did they mix up the numbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 2 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said: Looking at those notifications, I would like to know how on earth forty Super Hornets with associated gubbins can cost $7.45 billion, but forty F-35As come in at $6.58 billion. Did they mix up the numbers? interesting indeed! some thoughts: Super Hornet production: several hundred Lightning II: several thousand planned 2 engines vs 1 naval requirements vs land based in more detail: it is 40 Super Hornets with 96 engines 40 F-35s with 46 engines... the Super Hornet seems to have a bit more weapons and "gubbins" included so much for Hornet - Superhornet "upgrade" efficiency! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 2 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said: Looking at those notifications, I would like to know how on earth forty Super Hornets with associated gubbins can cost $7.45 billion, but forty F-35As come in at $6.58 billion. Did they mix up the numbers? Lockheed Martin have actually done a really good job at driving down the cost of the F35A. There was a lot of criticism of the F35 for delays and cost overruns (as with every big project), but for the quality of the aircraft, it's actually not that expensive... Furthermore, with a foreign military sale (FMS), the aircraft are not being purchased (by a country) from the manufacturer, they are being purchased from the US government. The US government has large orders of F35s but not large orders of Super Hornets (i.e. it's not that expensive to add more F35 orders). I can't help but think there may be some politics involved in it... i.e. whats the point of selling a Super Hornet when you can sell your latest and greatest jet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Points noted, but the F-35A is a generation ahead of the Super Bug, with stealth materials and umpteen other technologies. It still does not explain why forty of them are cheaper than forty F/A-18Es. Politics indeed. Boeing must be mightily hacked off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 These would presumably be the new Block III Super Hornets, which (I would imagine) would be more costly than previous variants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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