Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
I'm under the impression that current production is intermittent and very small batch. I know we do ugrades on existing customers' airframes but don't think we're doing high volume sales of new-build aircraft.
It's also hard to sell new-production of older models of aircraft when...
A. All the cool kids are buying the shiny new F-35.
B. Our former customers are offloading their old F-16s at rock bottom prices. (I think the resale market for F-16s is actually doing better than new sale market).
C. Our rivals and competitors are underselling us with their own offerings (i.e. the SU family, Dasault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon). For example, I just saw some Sukkoi sales material showing South Korea as customer for it's new PAK-50.
Don't get me wrong- I don't building upgraded models of tried and true platforms is a bad idea, I just see it as a really hard sell, both domestically with the politicos and internationally with prospective customers.
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The customer here would be the US armed forces. Both the F-16 and F-15 production lines are still running, they can be upgraded and it would not cost that much money compared with the F-35 program. If other countries want to buy improved F-15's and F16's so be it. The US could also start building a few more upgraded F-22's and offer downgraded ones for export until the F-X is brought in the 2020's. Its a temporary fix until the US gets over the F-35 mess. But the US and others can still buy and use the F-35, just not as a fighter which it clearly is not suitable for many reasons.