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Can A Good Air Force Fighter Be Built Today For $50M?
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:26 am
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:26 am
I was perusing some military articles…
F35A cost per plane continues to come down to around $85M. The new F15EX is ballooning to over $100M a plane, which is surprising for an updated 1970s fourth generation jet. The new B21 bomber is estimated to be around $500M per plane. The next generation fighter, the successor to the F22, is forecast to be $200-300M per plane and the USAF is planning to purchase a limit of 200 due to cost.
So a recurrent question in a lot of these discussions is how will the USAF get the numbers of fighters it needs for war with Russia and China? They keep referencing a serious numbers issue. Drones are definitely part of the answer but not THE answer, apparently. Non stealthy, fourth generation aircraft upgrades were thought to be part of the equation but Boeing is blowing that out of the water with their updated F15EX costing more than a F35A.
So…
Is it possible to build an effective, not superior but capable, fighter jet for low cost (say $50M) that would allow it to be produced in large numbers?
Some general said the USAF needs to find its F16 for today like it did in the 1970s.
F35A cost per plane continues to come down to around $85M. The new F15EX is ballooning to over $100M a plane, which is surprising for an updated 1970s fourth generation jet. The new B21 bomber is estimated to be around $500M per plane. The next generation fighter, the successor to the F22, is forecast to be $200-300M per plane and the USAF is planning to purchase a limit of 200 due to cost.
So a recurrent question in a lot of these discussions is how will the USAF get the numbers of fighters it needs for war with Russia and China? They keep referencing a serious numbers issue. Drones are definitely part of the answer but not THE answer, apparently. Non stealthy, fourth generation aircraft upgrades were thought to be part of the equation but Boeing is blowing that out of the water with their updated F15EX costing more than a F35A.
So…
Is it possible to build an effective, not superior but capable, fighter jet for low cost (say $50M) that would allow it to be produced in large numbers?
Some general said the USAF needs to find its F16 for today like it did in the 1970s.
22
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:27 am to LuckyTiger
$50 mil ? Lol ...
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:28 am to LuckyTiger
Not with all kick-backs...
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:29 am to LuckyTiger
quote:
how will the USAF get the numbers of fighters it needs for war with Russia and China
a. This isn't likely of a scenario
b. How do THEY get the numbers needed to fight us? Their fighter tech is severely behind our tech.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:30 am to LuckyTiger
There are already gen 6 prototypes, I imagine the cost on those will be unreal.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:31 am to LuckyTiger
quote:
how will the USAF get the numbers of fighters it needs for war with Russia and China?
They can start by not funding DIE and LG4KTVQ crap.
This post was edited on 4/21/24 at 11:31 am
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:34 am to LuckyTiger
The USD is being debased at such an accelerating rate $200 million per fighter/bomber is going to seem cheap in 2-3 years. 
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:35 am to LuckyTiger
They are looking to have a two tier inventory. One of high end and low end cost. Air domination of course for the high end and a cheaper option for ground and close support. They know the F-35 is a failure due to cost. The last article I read had them looking at conversions for the jet trainer and of course the F-18 among others. They know its a cost problem and are working on cheaper options.
You will also see soon a fleet of UAV mother ships carrying smaller UAV jets. A carrier in the air. It will have multiple roles. Its coming sooner than later.
The Loyal Wingman program
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/RN5YKEKMDNCPZBZAVDVAFPNAII.jpg)
You will also see soon a fleet of UAV mother ships carrying smaller UAV jets. A carrier in the air. It will have multiple roles. Its coming sooner than later.
The Loyal Wingman program
This post was edited on 4/21/24 at 11:40 am
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:35 am to LuckyTiger
Yep, the MIC's keep forcing wars to sell existing technology. When does it end?
Why not just use the ROD FROM GOD? It could end conflicts quickly which is what we, the citizens, really want.
The rod collides with the target 11 times faster than a bullet and a force significantly greater than a nuclear warhead.
None of the fallout, all of the fun.
Why not just use the ROD FROM GOD? It could end conflicts quickly which is what we, the citizens, really want.
The rod collides with the target 11 times faster than a bullet and a force significantly greater than a nuclear warhead.
None of the fallout, all of the fun.
This post was edited on 4/21/24 at 2:05 pm
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:35 am to LuckyTiger
How the hell are you going to do that and ensure that politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists and defense contractors also get their second and third homes in Palm Springs, Miami and Vail?
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:41 am to LuckyTiger
quote:We can't. We already have WWII level debt to GDP numbers. Without a war. We cannot afford to fight another war on that scale.
how will the USAF get the numbers of fighters it needs for war with Russia and China?
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:49 am to LuckyTiger
quote:Well, what do you want it to do exactly?
Can A Good Air Force Fighter Be Built Today For $50M?
Look. The F35 probably costs more than even it should.
That said, it's not even really a "fighter". The generation of "fighter" jets is dead. Dogfights are a thing of the past. In a dogfight, the F16 gives the F35 a rash of shite. Alas, in an actual war, the F16 would be blown out of the sky before it even knew the F35 was there.
The same goes for a great many of international "competitors".
We definitely could build cheaper very good planes. But, we also would lose more of them in actual combat so, we would HAVE to build more.
I don't know what the exact trade off is really. But, that's what we're faced with.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:53 am to LuckyTiger
Just slap a Ukrainian flag on it and they can get as many as they want. 
Posted on 4/21/24 at 11:56 am to LuckyTiger
The Russo Ukrainian war has been eye opening to how easily expensive tech can be neutralized with low level quadcopter drones.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 12:15 pm to LuckyTiger
Unmanned fighters are the future
Posted on 4/21/24 at 12:17 pm to LuckyTiger
MIC
Posted on 4/21/24 at 1:28 pm to LuckyTiger
Throw away small drones and lots of them can take out a plane
Posted on 4/21/24 at 2:53 pm to LuckyTiger
quote:
The new F15EX is ballooning to over $100M a plane
And we could buy 600 of them for what we just send to Ukraine.
I don't want to hear a fricking word from anyone about not being able to afford actual American defense needs.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 3:24 pm to LuckyTiger
quote:
F35A cost per plane continues to come down to around $85M. The new F15EX is ballooning to over $100M a plane, which is surprising for an updated 1970s fourth generation jet
The Feds are buying F-35s from Costco basically. Huge bath so much cheaper. The F-15EX is very small batch so less airframes to spread the R&D costs to.
I’m still blown away that Boeing was chosen for the T-X program when Lockheed Martin had the T-50A ready to go.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 3:46 pm to LuckyTiger
The B-21 will be a billion apiece. Count on it. The F-22 replacement will be closer to $500 million apiece than $300.
Every single new weapons system far exceeds its projected cost.
Every single new weapons system far exceeds its projected cost.
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