Finland buys 64 F-35A:s to replace its Legacy Hornets

[exdraken]

45 minutes ago, Alan P said:

Well, there's a question. For 'can/cannot' read 'will/will not' and therein lies the answer...

Maybe Finnland also does not need/want/will  engage in every endeavour the US is proposing, does not need to provide a strategic nuclear sub fleet, no Eurofighter force, not 50+ Ah-64s, not 2 aircraft carriers plus assorted fleets, no tanker or strategic transport force, no military presence in Cyprus, Falklands etc, no global reach/ strike aspirations either  no Tempest program.. .. just homeland defence as a direct and historically relevant but not continuously peaceful  Russian neighbour ...

Maybe the question was not fully serious though!

 

[Alan P]

On 12/13/2021 at 7:23 PM, exdraken said:

Maybe Finnland also foes not need/want/will  engage in every endeavour the US is proposing, does not need to provide a strategic nuclear sub fleet, no Eurofighter force, not 50+ Ah-64s, not 2 aircraft carriers plus assorted fleets, no tanker or strategic transport force, no military presence in Cyprus, Falklands etc, no global reach/ strike aspirations either  no Tempest program.. .. just homeland defence as a direct and historically relevant but not continuously peaceful  Russian neighbour ...

Maybe the question was not fully serious though!

 

To get the full effect of this reply, it should be read in a sarcastic John Cleese voice 🤔

 

PS. UK can afford 120 F-35s. But there's a war on. I believe the 'enemies' are intelligence, proportional response and competence, and we are winning!

[Slater]

On behalf of the US, we also apologize for exporting Britney Spears and McDonald's. We'll try to do better next time.

[Alan P]

12 minutes ago, Beermonster1958 said:

Pretty pathetic number. Will that be  enough to equip even more than one squadron after you then take into account aircraft held in reserve/attrition replacements etc?

Current UK status is 23 aircraft. 2 operational Sqns plus the training/OCU in the US. The Finn order is kind of a big deal.

[Slater]

I'm sure that Lockheed Martin will be glad to make more, for a modest fee, of course.

[desert falcon]

11 hours ago, Beermonster1958 said:

Pretty pathetic number. Will that be  enough to equip even more than one squadron after you then take into account aircraft held in reserve/attrition replacements etc?

 

John

 

I’m not an expert on these things John but my best guess would be that 27 fighters for Denmark in total would be insufficient and that the old RDAF F-16’s would be around for some time before the F-35 would be fully operational (as in delayed). If I remember correct, 7 of the Danish F-35’s will even stay in the US for pilot training for several years, before they are coming home.

 

11 hours ago, Alan P said:

Current UK status is 23 aircraft. 2 operational Sqns plus the training/OCU in the US. The Finn order is kind of a big deal.

 

But the UK will have both the F-35 and the Typhoons in the future, or?

 

In Denmark the F-35 will be the only fighter once the last of the old F-16’s are gone. 
 

Cheers

Johnny b 

[exdraken]

17 minutes ago, desert falcon said:

my best guess would be that 27 fighters for Denmark in total would be insufficient

insufficient, that depends on their task I would say!

27 F-35 is definitely much more than many other NATO forces can provide.... Baltic states - 0 fighters, Slovenia - 0 fighters, Slovakia - >10 MiG-29s, Bulgaria >10 MiG-29s,  Czech Republic - 14 Gripen, Hungary -14 Gripen

 

27 F-35 would provide a Squadron for a NATo deployment if needed, while maintaining QRA duties in country....

of course 64 is more than double that..

but I doubt there ever were 64 F-16 MLU available either...

 

 

 

[MagpieFNQ]

8 minutes ago, exdraken said:

insufficient, that depends on their task I would say!

27 F-35 is definitely much more than many other NATO forces can provide.... Baltic states - 0 fighters, Slovenia - 0 fighters, Slovakia - >10 MiG-29s, Bulgaria >10 MiG-29s,  Czech Republic - 14 Gripen, Hungary -14 Gripen

 

27 F-35 would provide a Squadron for a NATo deployment if needed, while maintaining QRA duties in country....

of course 64 is more than double that..

but I doubt there ever were 64 F-16 MLU available either...

 

 

 

Denmark currently has 33 F-16A so 27 F35 will more than meet their requirements it seems

[11bravo]

On 12/14/2021 at 4:59 PM, MagpieFNQ said:

Denmark currently has 33 F-16A so 27 F35 will more than meet their requirements it seems

Extrapolate out another few decades and Denmark's next new fighter purchase will consist of 8 F-XX.   2 for deployments, 2 for QRA, 2 undergoing maintenance and 2 being cannibalized for parts for the ones undergoing maintenance.