Costs per flight hour for modern Western F and F/A

[Skybird]

In another thread I briefly mentioned the low operation costs of the Gripen, and when surfing and reading a bit further about the latest developments of that plane, which is anything but dead, I stumbled over this article that refers to analysis done by Janes, comparing the costs for one flight hour of operation of the current Western fighters/fighterbombers, including the F-35.

http://www.stratpost.com/gripen-oper...fighters-janes

The numbers again confirm the outstanding record of the Gripen (4700 dollars 2013 for one operational flight hour), followed by the F-16 with 7000 dollards and the Eurofighter with 8200 doillars. Then comes the Rafale with 16500 dollars and the F/A-18 E/F ranging from 11000 to 24400 dollars (!).

To my surprise the terrible F-35 really hit the jackpot, and has operational costs that set it apart in a league of its own. Its operational costs for one flight hour varies between 21000 and 31000 dollars! And that thing is said to be "modern"...? In other air forces, airframes costing that much money to maintain them, would get phased out! Didnt that air force colonel or general, who claimed it would be treason to defend the A-10, mention that the air force must save money and become more cost-efficient...?

Modernised versions of the Gripen with new avionics, new radar, as well as a carrier-based version and a version without pilot, are being developed. To me it seems as if it gets rewarded a second spring, like the Hornet being turned into the Superhornet. The Gripen is anything but a dead plane!

[ikalugin]

I guess no one is interested in eastern planes such as the T10 series?

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Skybird

In another thread I briefly mentioned the low operation costs of the Gripen, and when surfing and reading a bit further about the latest developments of that plane, which is anything but dead, I stumbled over this article that refers to analysis done by Janes, comparing the costs for one flight hour of operation of the current Western fighters/fighterbombers, including the F-35.

http://www.stratpost.com/gripen-oper...fighters-janes

The numbers again confirm the outstanding record of the Gripen (4700 dollars 2013 for one operational flight hour), followed by the F-16 with 7000 dollards and the Eurofighter with 8200 doillars. Then comes the Rafale with 16500 dollars and the F/A-18 E/F ranging from 11000 to 24400 dollars (!).

To my surprise the terrible F-35 really hit the jackpot, and has operational costs that set it apart in a league of its own. Its operational costs for one flight hour varies between 21000 and 31000 dollars! And that thing is said to be "modern"...? In other air forces, airframes costing that much money to maintain them, would get phased out! Didnt that air force colonel or general, who claimed it would be treason to defend the A-10, mention that the air force must save money and become more cost-efficient...?

Modernised versions of the Gripen with new avionics, new radar, as well as a carrier-based version and a version without pilot, are being developed. To me it seems as if it gets rewarded a second spring, like the Hornet being turned into the Superhornet. The Gripen is anything but a dead plane!

We have some of the worlds best flight engineers.

And I can't understand WHY the Danish politicians are so keen on buying the F-35.(the next generation after their F-16)

Markus

[NeonSamurai]

I can't see why anyone would be keen on buying the F-35 to be honest.

[Wolferz]

Phase all of them out and go strictly drone.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by mapuc

We have some of the worlds best flight engineers.

And I can't understand WHY the Danish politicians are so keen on buying the F-35.(the next generation after their F-16)

Markus

Originally Posted by NeonSamurai

I can't see why anyone would be keen on buying the F-35 to be honest.

I'm quite confident that those politicians could not care less how good that plane itself is. Most likely they are keen on buying it to keep Uncle Sam interested on defending their country.

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Phase all of them out and go strictly drone.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

Right into the day some bored teenager hacks those things control system.

[mapuc]

^ Another reason could also be this: Denmark was one of the countries in the Joint venture around the development of the F-35 and therefore they have...agreed on buying so and so many...

Here's another thing, How many of you remember the awful start of the F-15 ?

Markus

[eddie]

And to think we stopped producing the F22 because it was too expensive! So bring on the cheaper F35!

[Jimbuna]

Anyone know the costs to keep the Harriers flying before we just about gave them away?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Anyone know the costs to keep the Harriers flying before we just about gave them away?

More on the background of those decreasing numbers:

LINK: Transforming logistics support for fast jets

I wonder what variables they put into that calculation. That graph for the later years is hard to believe. Its MoD and thus official numbers, no independent numbers.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by NeonSamurai

I can't see why anyone would be keen on buying the F-35 to be honest.

Manchurian candidates no doubt!

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

I guess no one is interested in eastern planes such as the T10 series?

Well that would be because typically Russian designs tend to cheaper than Western counterparts. With the trade off that typically a Russian design sold for export is inferior to its Russian counterpart. While with Western aircraft in most cases your buying the same product that the US,Swedish, or French air force flys.

In other words you are talking a different argument while Skybird is looking at the operating costs of gen 4 and gen4+ Western multi-role fighters compared to the cost of operating the gen 5 F-35.

[ikalugin]

Sadly this is no longer true, for example Su30MKIs were better than the planes used for domestic customers (such as Su27SM), Su30SM is a direct derivative of the MKI.

The first plane that was procured by domestic customers that was better than the MKI was the Su35S.

Thus if we are looking into recent sales or into future procurement scenarios, T10 series are different from the Soviet MiG29 exports for example.

[Schroeder]

I could imagine that the high costs of the F/A 18 come from it being a carrier aircraft that takes lots of punishment with each landing. That has to reflect in the operating costs somewhere.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

More on the background of those decreasing numbers:

LINK: Transforming logistics support for fast jets

I wonder what variables they put into that calculation. That graph for the later years is hard to believe. Its MoD and thus official numbers, no independent numbers.

Most interesting Sky.....Danke