Fighter jets for the Air Corps?

ah no I wasn’t suggesting to get one, I’m in a telegram group and the talk of drones here and coincidentally someone added that photo into the telegram. Some Nice photos of the TFX project etc…

I wouldn’t suggest using turkeys fighters except there F-4s lol museum pieces I know but they are a favourite

The US would offer them boneyard F4s for free if it meant keeping a swing Country out of the Chinese orbit, especially one in the Americas.

The Finn's also operate their F18s from roadside in a very similar fashion to the Swedes. The Gripen was designed from outset for both dispersed operations and even more importantly IMao. With Russian fighters and their destruction as it's raison d'etre. It is built to be a Sukhoi slayer.

It’s certainly interesting if it goes ahead, as mentioned the U.K. has stopped every attempt before so have things changed? There was an article a few months ago on U.K. defence about it, the comments were “negative” about the idea of Argentina getting anything.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/f-16-jets-for-argentina/

At the end of the day the UK always will bend to what the USA says no ifs or buts about it. If the yanks want argentina under its wing thats what will happen

Could the braszilans get an extra production line going to get.more in the market?

Agree. There is mention of the US imposing "restrictions" that is hardly going to matter to the UK and their concerns down south re:Falklands.

I know that the Tejas has some British parts in the fuel system and the radome that won't be granted export license to Argentina. Similar story with some parts on the Sino/Pak JF17 but China have made clear they are moving to an all internal supply chain.

It's not hyperbole to say that the Argentines being offered F16s even old ones. Is a slap in the face to the UK. Yes as part of the great game, it's imperative to the US that China is kept out of their backyard. It really does speak to the decline of Britain's importance within the Anglosphere.

To D'ohvilles point. Yes the Swedes are reactivating the C/D airframes they have in storage. I know they've ordered 60 E's and that was originally contingent upon the Brazil order covering part of the R&D cost.

Saab are still beavering away trying to sell E/F and perhaps the shift in global geopolitical situation will aid that? I don't see them selling to India which is a country they've lobbied hard for the medium fighter contract. IMO that comes down to Dassault or Lockheed with Dassault already with a big foot in the door.

What Saab do have? Is the potential to fill immediate small orders with overhauled C/Ds and then ramp up production of the E in Sweden and perhaps Brazil depending on how that deal is structured. If memory serves, there are 220 or so Gripen built with 160 in service. Most of the stored airframes are Swedish that were mothballed as part of the "peace dividend".

There is a scramble for fighter supply at the moment and the days of turning out 300 spitfires a month are long gone. I think that some very interesting deals and bedfellows could be on the horizon. The US willing to arm Argentina is a sign of things to come.

Argentina lack the Naval forces required to threaten, let alone invade the Falklands again. The Islands are far better protected now than they were in 1982, with at least one flight of Typhoons, and a runway capable of taking the largest RAF tactical transport.

The RN are also much better placed to defend the island from Naval assault. Even in 1982, once Argentina lost use of their Carrier, and the long range attack aircraft had to be based in the mainland again, they struggled to find a target before launching their weapons and heading for home.

Gifting them a few self-defence aircraft and controlling what weapons they get (as the US can do) will not change the political threat much. Its a very different South America now.

I agree with you. The benefit to be gained by corralling Argentina into a US leaning government is worth more than the hangover of the UK policy to deny any western arms to them.

Not so much in the US sourced gear. The ACESII is a product of Collins Aerospace and ultimately of Raytheon.

The US supplying high spec gear on earlier generation aircraft to the Argentinians is not a new development. Take a look at the A4AR Fightinghawk, probably the ultimate (non Israeli at least) incarnation of the A4 Skyhawk ever produced. Basically an F16 in an A4 airframe. And this happened in 1998. When the Falklands/Malvinas hangover was much fresher.

From a geopolitical point of view, the British are well aware of the need to limit the ability of China to expand its sphere of influence. So I'm sure they are on board with any offer made by the Americans.

Regarding the Swedish plans for the JAS39 C/D Gripens. There are no "reactivations", merely retentions. It is planned that a significant number of aircraft previously earmarked for replacement will now continue in service alongside the new model. The Swedish Air Force has actually received it's full ordered allocation of C/D, but there were a few aircraft produced at the end of the production run paid for by the Swedish government with no intention to induct them into the air force, merely to maintain continuity in the production line until the E model took over.

It has been mentioned that there are a number of very low hour A/B aircraft in storage that can be upgraded to the latest C/D iteration available for export. Current spec C model Gripens are highly advanced. Incremental upgrades of Gripen variants are constantly in the pipeline and are mainly software based. Think of it like a operating system.

Can dish it out, can't take it.