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https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/01/f-35-cheaper-than-the-gripen/ https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/01/f-35-cheaper-than-the-g... Specific figures will differ

https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/01/f-35-cheaper-than-the-gripen/ https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/01/f-35-cheaper-than-the-g... Specific figures will differ depending on how exactly one calculates acquisition costs. These numbers differ depending on the acquiring country, the block numbers, etc. But as rule of thumb the F-35 cost is roughly 10 million USD cheaper than the much less capable Gripen. This is notable as the Gripen is being marketed as the cheaper alternative. The F-35 has much higher operational costs (mostly due to the costs of maintaining stealth coating), but here's the opinion of the Finish and Swiss governments on full life-cycle costs from the article: > However, both the Swiss and Finnish authorities argued that the F-35 was the best cost/benefit investment, if its full life-cycle economics were taken into account.

flakeoil 3y ago
From the article the cost per flight hour is around $8,000 for Gripen and $33,300 for the F35A. The Finish and Swiss most likely have no clue what the final full life-cycle costs will be. No-one knows this cost. The US who sold it knows a bit more than the Finns and the Swiss, but not even they know. Time will tell. The F35 program has overrun it's costs over and over. The purchase price of the F35A (the conventional version) is being artificially low as a lot of the costs have been pushed onto the F35B and F35C models so they can offer an attractive price for their exports. It's all politics at the end anyway. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning...
- matkoniecz 3y ago
  > The F35 program has overrun it's costs over and over. Note that you need to compare with competing programs. Notably, F35 can be actually seriously produced (unlike say its supposed competition Su-57)
Hammershaft 3y ago
What makes stealth coating particularily expensive?
- genmud 3y ago
  Probably made out of special radar absorbing shit and requires specialized to make sure it is uniform (or not) in its application. I used a really thin ceramic based paint coating and it was really difficult to apply in a uniform manner. I can’t imagine how hard getting stealth coating onto a fighter jet is.

flakeoil 3y ago

From the article the cost per flight hour is around $8,000 for Gripen and $33,300 for the F35A. The Finish and Swiss most likely have no clue what the final full life-cycle costs will be. No-one knows this cost. The US who sold it knows a bit more than the Finns and the Swiss, but not even they know. Time will tell. The F35 program has overrun it's costs over and over. The purchase price of the F35A (the conventional version) is being artificially low as a lot of the costs have been pushed onto the F35B and F35C models so they can offer an attractive price for their exports. It's all politics at the end anyway. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning...

matkoniecz 3y ago
> The F35 program has overrun it's costs over and over. Note that you need to compare with competing programs. Notably, F35 can be actually seriously produced (unlike say its supposed competition Su-57)

Hammershaft 3y ago

What makes stealth coating particularily expensive?

genmud 3y ago
Probably made out of special radar absorbing shit and requires specialized to make sure it is uniform (or not) in its application. I used a really thin ceramic based paint coating and it was really difficult to apply in a uniform manner. I can’t imagine how hard getting stealth coating onto a fighter jet is.