The F-16 replacement of the Royal Netherlands Airforce.

[Toptob]

The latter.
For commonality we could buy the block 60, not only as stopgap but also as a full replacement.
(Although the NG might be a better choice.)

How so? The block 60 has little in common with our current f-16's, if only because its systems are decades more modern than those in our MLU's adjustments have been made to the entire airframe. And why would the gripen be a better choice? I haven't read one good explanation from you about this.

What we could do is buying two squadrons of NG/blk60 (, order a small initial F-35 batch) and than wait for more info before ordering more F-35's.

Todjaeger made a statement ( a very good one might I add) and you go repeat it, but make it stupid. Why would we BUY interim aircraft when we can lease them?

But I have to admit, I read up on the F-22/35 subject, and I've turned. I think we ( the NL) should do is go ahead with the F-35, but adjust our prospected agreement, we should take some more time before purchasing and see what our allies buy, or at least get a fixed price and re-asses how much we want to buy. And I think we should use the suggestion a couple of pages back and wait with retiring our F-16's a bit longer and be a 2 fighter force again.

It's like this: the F-16's are still very valuable assets, very capable of fulfilling commitments in Afghanistan and other possible deployments. Plus we still have weapon stocks we can use with them and that are already integrated in those planes. I think here especially of older weaponry like the Paveway2's and so forth.

It will also give the airforce a good long period to get used to its new equipment and let it mature. And when the time is right, and budget/ political climate permit we can buy some more.

But its clear to me that the F-35 has no equal on the market.

[delta2005]

F35 Gen 5??

[SpudmanWP]

That is being flagged as an invalid attachment.

Try posting a link instead.

[Grand Danois]

Originally Posted by SpudmanWP

That is being flagged as an invalid attachment.

Try posting a link instead.

It's the one that says that they got specific info in the next gen PLAAF fighter.

[Bonza]

Originally Posted by Grand Danois

It's the one that says that they got specific info in the next gen PLAAF fighter.

Peter Goon is seriously saying he has specific info on a PLAAF anything?

[Grand Danois]

Originally Posted by Bonza

Peter Goon is seriously saying he has specific info on a PLAAF anything?

Mr Secretary - Why Does the Pentagon Say the JSF is a 5th Generation Fighter . . Really?

Cheers & enjoy.

[Bonza]

Originally Posted by Grand Danois

Mr Secretary - Why Does the Pentagon Say the JSF is a 5th Generation Fighter . . Really?

Cheers & enjoy.

Oh good god... the fact that they're actually serious defies comprehension. There is only one word for that level of blatant intellectual dishonesty and total lack of integrity: disgusting.

And to think you signed off with "cheers & enjoy". You're a bad bad man GD. :P

[SpudmanWP]

Oh, that chart....

LOL, they ranked the Su-35 even with the F-22, enough said.

[IPA35]

I never said stopgap, but I said full replacement.
Our current F-16 are getting OLD, they cost alot of money to keep them airworthy. And it is only getting more and more. We could do an ELU but then? We would still need to replace them and since nobody is interested in the ELU we would have to pay alot for it.

Wether or not the NG or the Blk 60 is the better choice, we can't make this a VS thread, unfortunatly. Thing is is that the Gripen uses few fuel, and has low flight hour costs.
Although I'm not sure I expect the Blk 60 to cost more since older F-16's also cost more per flighthour. Please correct me if I am wrong.
And it has more weaponry options and the STOL capability.
And as you said, the Blk 60 is very different fron the Blk 20.

The F-35A does not convince me, but it would be a loss of 800 million to quit the programm, I just hope all the F-35 fans are right on it's capabilities

Since we need to equip 5 squadrons one type will have 2 and the other 3.

[longbow]

Originally Posted by Grand Danois

Mr Secretary - Why Does the Pentagon Say the JSF is a 5th Generation Fighter . . Really?

Cheers & enjoy.

Aaaah... Goon again, that nutjob!! The sentence that really made me crack up was this one:

(That the JSF Program needs fixing is not in doubt.) "How this may best be achieved is well understood by the international team of experts at Air Power Australia, whose advice has, to date, been ignored by most of those who advise you."

That he really expects anyone to listen to him, or read his cheap crappylooking early 90's looking webpage containing his ramblings is like me sitting at work, feeling quite overlooked and down because Einstein did not consult me about the theory of relativety - although I suck in maths! He is not ignored, he is not seen as someone to listen to, let alone ignore!

Ah, well, enough, better stop now