"Switzerland balks on Gripen order" Topic

Saab just lost 25 percent of its hard-earned Gripen sales: link

If the Swiss can't even afford the Gripen, they may have to settle for cheaper lower tier a/c like the F-16 or KA-50.

I doubt this will be a boon to the Boeing F-18 or Lockheed-Martin F-35, since they're more expensive in the short and long run.

Too bad American voters can't call for a referendum on the F-35.

'The hijacked plane had to be escorted by French and Italian jets as the Swiss air force doesn't operate to protect the country's airspace outside of business hours.'

As if no one in history has ever attacked anybody at the weekend or during a holiday period. I mean, it just doesn't happen, does it?

I guess it "makes sense." If the French and Italian air forces are offering to provide your air security, why bother wasting money on your own?

Unless France or Italy decide to invade of course :)

They've still got 32 F/A-18C/Ds. More than enough to maintain air policing.

Countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic do air policing with 8-14 aircraft each.

The F/A-18s are apparently to go out of service by 2025. I suspect they'll be upgraded and kept for longer as they're reasonably new airframes having been delivered only in 1990s.

The remaining F-5E/Fs are scheduled for retirement in 2017 (some have already been sold to USN/USMC for aggressor training).

If the Swiss can't even afford the Gripen, they may have to settle for cheaper lower tier a/c like the F-16

Gripen is smaller and far cheaper than any current F-16 model.

Hence countries like Thailand are buying cheaper JAS-39s instead of new F-16s.

It's one of the reasons why Gripen has struggled to get sales – anyone with a bit of money goes for new build F-16C/Ds or even F-16E/F which are more capable than a Gripen in terms of payload, weapons integration and other performance parameters.

The F-16 also outsells Eurofighter and Rafale cause it's cheaper to acquire and operate than either of those 2 Euro jets. This has included traditional French and English customers ala Morrocco and Oman.

Basically the F-16 is still the best bang for buck if you want to wage war in a multirole fashion.

JAS-39 Gripen is best bang for buck if you want cheap and effective air defence.

Attacking outside of normal business hours is just gauche.

No one is going to attack them in the next 15-25 years.
Besides all big neighbours are broke too, except maybe the Germans…for now.

It's a total Saab story. I'll show myself out.

I'm no fan of the way the U.S. Congress makes budget decisions, but I don't think it's a good idea to put those kinds of major defense purchases up to a vote, either.

I'm no fan of the way the U.S. Congress makes budget decisions, but I don't think it's a good idea to put those kinds of major defense purchases up to a vote, either.

I think you can't win either way – generals want all the the toys they can get their hands on regardless of need and politicians play funny games.

In poor countries like Pakistan or India democratic voting may be a way to curb mindless military expansion.

After all do they need hundreds of jet fighters, thousands of tanks and nuclear missiles when they can't provide basic health, nutrition and education to the vast majority of the people?

Indeed if every country voted democratically on military purchases, most likely armies would become extinct.

Even the most hardcore nationalists probably won't vote for some new toys if they can see that money being used to improve the roads and hospitals they use or handed out as mindless middle class social welfare that they benefit from. :P

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Anyhow Switzerland doesn't really need the jets. As stated they have 32 F/A-18C/Ds remaining for air policing role.

Adding 22 JAS-39s doesn't really help if someone truly wants to invade their country.

It's like saying an extra squadron of Hurricanes or Gladiators would've allowed the Belgians to stop the Germans in 1940.