One strategy to airframe maint popularized by the USA would be a punishing maintenance load keeping all 72 operational. Another strategy popularized by Iran an

One strategy to airframe maint popularized by the USA would be a punishing maintenance load keeping all 72 operational. Another strategy popularized by Iran and their F-14 collection would be realistically only a fraction will remain operational over time due to maintenance and parts logistics limitations such that in 20 years they'd like to be able to field, perhaps, 16 actual flyable aircraft, which is realistic for a small state, a couple CAP, a couple hot standby, a couple for training, maybe the occasional very small raid, 16 or so is about right. As a side note about Iran's F14 collection IIRC the Iraqis claimed in hundreds of press releases, added up over the entire Iran-Iraq war, to have shot down more Iranian F14s than the USA had delivered to Iran... so giving Qatar 72 planes means at least 140 or so claimed kills by someone, eventually, LOL. And we also sell ADA missile systems and A-to-A missiles so 140 claimed kills is good for business.