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It is notable that several countries have held competitions to choose new fighter jets and the F-35 has generally won those competitions when it was an option.

It is notable that several countries have held competitions to choose new fighter jets and the F-35 has generally won those competitions when it was an option. Countries like Belgium, Japan, South Korea, and Poland would be examples.

quickthrowman 6y ago
Is it really notable? 4/4 of those countries have US military stationed in them, and all of them are either defended by the US directly or as part of a mutual defense treaty.
35fbe7d3d5b9 6y ago
Government procurement projects, especially international ones, aren't a great way to compare things on merit. Take Belgium: Boeing and Saab didn't even bid. Boeing hinted that the program wasn't truly a "level playing field" - and then there were leaks that suggested the Belgian military promised NATO they'd purchase the F-35 years earlier and set the procurement process up to ensure the F-35 would come out on top.
ericbarrett 6y ago
I'd suspect politics, monetary incentives (not coarse bribes, but rather discounts, money for other programs, soft political support, and so on). And behind all that, "Can't get fired for buying IBM" syndrome[0]. [0] http://www.ipglossary.com/glossary/no-one-ever-got-fired-for-buying-ibm-computers/ http://www.ipglossary.com/glossary/no-one-ever-got-fired-for...
- decafninja 6y ago
  I wonder if prestige is also a factor, being able to brag that you have the "latest and the greatest". It's also the only true stealth fighter available for sale. Well, the SU-57 is also being marketed for export too, but it's probably not going to have many takers in the West for political reasons, and it has it's own set of problems. Otherwise, what is the F-35's competitors? Typhooon, Rafale, Gripen, Super Hornet, or some advanced Eagle variant? All good planes, and probably more appropriate for many air forces than the F-35, but they are all 4+ generation planes, not the latest new shiny toy that the F-35 is.

quickthrowman 6y ago

Is it really notable? 4/4 of those countries have US military stationed in them, and all of them are either defended by the US directly or as part of a mutual defense treaty.

35fbe7d3d5b9 6y ago

Government procurement projects, especially international ones, aren't a great way to compare things on merit. Take Belgium: Boeing and Saab didn't even bid. Boeing hinted that the program wasn't truly a "level playing field" - and then there were leaks that suggested the Belgian military promised NATO they'd purchase the F-35 years earlier and set the procurement process up to ensure the F-35 would come out on top.

ericbarrett 6y ago

I'd suspect politics, monetary incentives (not coarse bribes, but rather discounts, money for other programs, soft political support, and so on). And behind all that, "Can't get fired for buying IBM" syndrome[0]. [0] http://www.ipglossary.com/glossary/no-one-ever-got-fired-for-buying-ibm-computers/ http://www.ipglossary.com/glossary/no-one-ever-got-fired-for...

decafninja 6y ago
I wonder if prestige is also a factor, being able to brag that you have the "latest and the greatest". It's also the only true stealth fighter available for sale. Well, the SU-57 is also being marketed for export too, but it's probably not going to have many takers in the West for political reasons, and it has it's own set of problems. Otherwise, what is the F-35's competitors? Typhooon, Rafale, Gripen, Super Hornet, or some advanced Eagle variant? All good planes, and probably more appropriate for many air forces than the F-35, but they are all 4+ generation planes, not the latest new shiny toy that the F-35 is.