Australian Air Force will pay at least $131 million per F-35

[tigershark]

Does this price seem high or is the norm for this aircraft?   Is there a list by country what each paid?   

Whole story
Jets dearer than admitted
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/f35-dearer-than-admitted/2007/07/08/1183833344654.html

[Gripen]

HA TYPICAL

US air force and who ever cut their sales which makes us pay more..


F-35 Oh so Not worth it.

Rather the Raptors...

[tigershark]

If you think about a Typhoon cost with spares, training, and other goodies $95/$105 mil right or close to that.   For $30 million plus more you get a true 5th generation aircraft that when more are bought  prices will go down.  Remember Chinese Flankers or J-10s can't see F-35s either on there radar's just because it's not a F-22 doesn't mean it can't be used as a fighter.   Australia's F-35 will be deadly as fighters launching a AIM-120-5, at 10 to 15 miles away is pretty close to a sure thing.  A 9X launch at around those ranges is just about a sure thing as well.  China has nothing like that even close that we know about at least.   Remember some or more of what's built into an F-22 will only make the F-35 better because it came out later.  Internal weapons are only going to get better, smaller, and have more range.   Imagine what an armor piercing super fast 850 lbs warhead equipped anti-ship shot from six miles away at a selected part of a Chinese destroyer would do?  Or better yet shot down at the ship from above at even higher speeds it's the no or little warning that makes both the F-22 and F-35 so dangerous. It's a different way of thinking and for Australia air force it gives them a deadly weapons platform period.

[Gripen]

Why China?

why not someone else?

[WRCKid]

I think this what the MD said on setting the record straight

http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/NelsonMintpl.cfm?CurrentId=6835

[valkyrian]

So it seems that u get 30% costlier aircraft for an unknown untried technology (stealth) that remains static on the aircraft, while all radars (surface, air, ground) keep getting better and better.
Who says that a bi static radar cannot track a F-35, if not today, in 5 to 10 years, then it will be raw meet for the Bruce Lee piloted Flankers. Radars are getting all the better. an aircraft platform remains basically unchanged...

[Gripen]

If the ship the AUS.JSF's are on sinks, i wont cry.

Never liked the JSF, never will.

[WRCKid]

Hmmm, I found this and this is a really good comparison of the SU-30 over the JSF and the F18F this article really breaks it down...

http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Flanker.html

[RecceJet]

Does this price seem high or is the norm for this aircraft?   Is there a list by country what each paid?   

Whole story
Jets dearer than admitted
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/f35-dearer-than-admitted/2007/07/08/1183833344654.html

Just to maintain perspective, it's AUD$131M, even though it's still a large figure! It's only roughly USD$114M.

[valkyrian]

I think Copp, has very strong points....maybe it would be better for Australia to buy some F-22's or F-15s....

[tigershark]

valkyrian F-22's aren't for sale yet so that can't happen.   The Copp person I've read mixed things about him maybe some of the guys here from Australia could explain him better.   Australia would have done a little better with range, payload, better pure fighter with the F-15E or what ever later model.   The con's of buying F-15' s you have have had to train over your pilot, maintenance, and supply chain, all money and time.   Even the mighty F-15E doesn't replace the F-111 as a striker one for one , but does well in certain areas.   The New Hornet's share at least 25/35 percent of the same parts, training, etc with the older Hornet's so it's not totally starting over like with the F-15s.   The New Hornets will be around longer and have much more of a future which is always important.  The Block-2 Hornet's are very advance platforms and the biggest knock against the Hornets replacing the F-111s is range and payload.   Let's be honest F-111 is huge and carries tons of fuel nothing being built today besides maybe the Su-35/32/34 in that class anymore.   Australia never had a better fighter then what they have so there only gaining with the E/F Hornet not losing?   The E/F Hornet's ASEA radar and better missiles out class anything on Australia's nearby friends flying Flankers.   And the same long range missile shots would be used by the F-15s would be use by the Hornets too, see not much difference on how the fight would be fought.   The F-111 wouldn't  last against a Flanker either so you would never want to go down that path. 

[valkyrian]

Maybe a downgraded version of the F-22 can be for sale. Just like the Saudi Arabian F-15 S which have less weapons stations when carrying Lantirns. Think of it. A little downgraded engines, worst radar, and u have a cheaper yet capable anti-flanker.
Buying F-15 E has the same disadvantages as the F-35, in the supply chain and in training. And you have a much more formidable fighter (first) and bomber (secondly). I can't see the reason why Australia needs a stealthy bomber fighter... Indonesia, or Phillipines or even China, haven't so modern radars and so dense anti SAM sites, so why F-35?
The F/A-18 E/F is an underpowered (for todays standards) fighter. It has a good radar, but this doesn't win a war. The combination of its radar and air to air missiles isn't a match for the new Flanker, not to mention that its range is marginally better if not worst than the older model..