In the IAF:
Russia gave Lebanon an early Christmas gift of 10 MiG fighter jets today in a deal to boost defence co-operation.
The MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters would be provided for free to Lebanon under an agreement on military-technical assistance, the head of Russia’s defence co-operation service said. Mikhail Dmitryev said that the jets would be taken from Russia’s existing stock.
Free is a good price. That way no feelings get hurt when your gear gets trashed.
Your skills can get rusty, without a little live fire training.
Update: Meanwhile, a true bargain -
Boeing Co highlighted the affordability and capability of its F-18 fighter jets, saying Wednesday it had offered them at less than $50 million each to cover the U.S. Navy’s expected “fighter gap” until the new F-35 fighter is available.
“We continue to work on F-18 to make it more affordable, more survivable… and more capable and offer that up as an alternative to some of the other programs that might be pursued,” Jim Albaugh, the head of Boeing’s defense business, told the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit in Washington.
Might sound expensive compared to “free”, but then again replacement pilots are expensive too.
“That way no feelings get hurt when your gear gets trashed.”
Chuckle…
“but then again replacement pilots are expensive too.” — Especially when you are the pilot needing premature replacing……………
Yup. Need to get more Supers for the USN. Of course they are now Block IIs which have superb avionics.
Speaking of rejoicing.
105 yrs ago today at Kill Devil Hills….
Three cheers for Orville and Wilbur.
I just realized today that my paternal grandmother, who raised me and my two sisters, would have been 106 years old now.
The changes she saw from her childhood years in Indian Territory (before it became Oklahoma), to seeing men walk on the moon a few years before she passed away…
So, if $50M is a bargain, what is the MSRP for a F-18?
To cover the USN’s fighter gap until the F-35 is available?
I’m not even sure where I’d begin with that whole thought process. Wonder what the contingency plan is if the F-35 doesn’t actually happen.
We have another choice given F-35 dilemma? Duh. I thought not.
I will point out for the 101st time in here (a Centurion!) that even IF you could get ‘em for $50 mil a copy what you are really paying is about $80 mil a copy for a StrikeFighter (empasis on mission).
How’s that B2?
Because 25-35% of them will do nothing else at sea except “serve” as overhead (launch & recovery) tankers (not mission tanking-don’t let ‘em fool ya). While doing that they ain’t nothing more than powerful-looking gas stations that have ZERO war fighting capability. Remember that video Lex had up a couple weeks back about the carrier and the pitching deck with all them Hornets having trouble getting aboard? Ask- how many were tankers?
Not a fighter expert, based on the above I would humbly submit my personal analysis that buying new SuperHornets fill a “gap” but only on a real ratio of .6-.7 to 1.0. But of course, that has been the case in a progressive fashion since early 2004 with the first all Hornet airwing deployment. It’ll get slightly worse with Growler.
Also let’s not forget the cost to structurally upgrade the existing Hornets (legacy & super) to reach new service life requirements. Don’t forget that money…An expensive “Enterprise”, ain’t it? LOL. (cynically).
“The more Hornets you have the more Hornet tankers you need”. Almost Malthusian, eh? Go Boeing! Hornets forever! Fill that trough.
Unfortunetly Naval Aviation doesn’t have a choice but to buy more Hornets. Painted themselves right into a corner…
b2
I thought the Hornet tankers were fighters assigned to tanker duty?
That’s about right Casey…Surprising I get very little pushback on my opinions, eh?
re Bou’s “Wonder what the contingency plan is if the F-35 doesn’t actually happen.”
That is Naval Aviation’s red herring and the leadership must know it. Perhaps Lex’s prior post with the N-G UCAV will be the future…What do you think? LOL. The only option they have to “have a bird in the hand” is to buy more Hornets..Superhornets and more SuperHornet tankers…it’s a “Tarbaby”. Meanwhile, the anti-big deck carrier crowd hover like buzzards.
This is big. Short-term fixes and gimmicky business solutions will not solve the root problem.
b2