While it's a good opportunity to take a political jab at the US, the F-18 was never a contender. Both the Rafale and Gripen are much better choices. The Gripe

While it's a good opportunity to take a political jab at the US, the F-18 was never a contender. Both the Rafale and Gripen are much better choices. The Gripen especially, it's probably the best performing plane per dollar in the world - and has a lot of advantages besides sheer performance...