€360 million for 24 2nd Hand F16s and weapon systems. Not to bad of a price.
https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-16/argentina-reinforces-ties-with-the-us-with-purchase-of-used-f-16s.html?outputType=amp
not just the Press, some of the comments sections in the usual defence related sites are bloody insane, they have lost their minds.
Well , the british have successfully stymied Argentinian air force purchases for 40 odd years , ( not surprisingly) , i'd imagine it was the prospect of them buying chinese that brike that log jam -
What sort of combat radius would those f16s have ? I assume they'd be no match for the Eurofighters the brits have stationed there ,
-if the Argentinians can be bothered with that sort of messing
Only a handful of Typhoons there. Not expecting any fireworks though.
Would the USA even consider giving the same deal to Ireland? I doubt it very much somehow. My guess is that Ireland would have to pay 4 or 5 times as much for the same equipment.
I doubt if Argentina has Russian bombers traveling close by its airspace, nor Russian Navy menacing it's undersea communications cables either?
I would have thought that Ukraine needs these jets more than Argentina? Let's hope the Danes have more F16's earmarked for Ukraine.
It was denmark that sold them not the US ,
Although the US obviously was on board with it , otherwise the deal wouldnt have gone ahead ..
Currently, the RDAF has 41 F-16s in its inventory, 30 single-seaters and 11 double-seaters. Given that the country so far only has 4 out of its total order of 27 F-35s in the country, I think it'll be a while before Argentina gets their aircraft. Looks like Ukraine got first dibs on them, especially given ongoing Ukrainian pilot training at Skydstrup.
Gripen - 1st choice
FA-50 - 2nd choice
...if it ever actually happens 😕
Craughwell's case needs to be dismissed.
You cannot parse defence policy and State secrets in open Court for reasons of the ego trip of one man.
He may say its in the national interest, but that is best served by secrecy on the intricacies.
We as a nation do not deserve to be rescued if anything ever did happen.
Irrespective of non-alignment, we certainly have no excuse not to have a robust homeland defence. Not anymore.
I honestly think the gov/country doesn't get how bad the World is going to get..
Rescues tend not to happen because of deservedness or virtue ...
It tends to be national interests that decide wether the cavalry cone riding over the hill
I just watched a short documentary about Brazil's F-5 fleet
They have a fleet of 49 of the most modernized F-5's in the world... which are designated F-5M's
These aircraft completed a modernization programme in 2020 - including more powerful radars, liquid crystal display screens and having in-flight refuelling probes fitted
They now have a expected life of 15+ years (i.e. up to c.2035)
They are due to be replaced with Saab Gripens from 2025
Four active, as F-5FMs.
How much would they be to buy now?
They're not for sale at present.
No doubt the USMC will be eyeing them up whenever they do come up for sale.
USMC have a bigger budget for second hand planes.
RTE news : Sky's not the limit for ambitious new Irish Air Force
http://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0606/1453332-air-corps-changes/
Sounds good, hope it will be put into action asap.
yeah it’s a bs article imo. No mention of the fact that inflation and particularly defence inflation means at best the budget has been standing still (and they avoid pointing out the adjusted target would be about 2 billion making the small changes so far even smaller), no mention of the fact that we have never operated “current” fighter aircraft, or that the base can’t accommodate them, or just the fact that while there might be “box ticking” major projects/changes are still not happening.
It's written by an RTE newsreader, whose knowledge of defence matters is most likely on a par with that of the general public. I always love when the Vampire T.55s are described as "fighters". Even the single-seat Vampire was effectively obsolete as a fighter by the early 1950s and the only two-seat fighters were the NF.10s operated by the RAF and a couple of other countries.
To be fair although retired from the RAF front line in the early 50s they were used by the Swiss until 1990.
Yes, indeed. I was in Switzerland in the early 1980s and they were still flying their three original 1939-vintage Junkers 52s as military transports, so they believed in getting the maximum service out of anything they bought.
The "hot air" force!
The Swiss Vampire trainers were also designated T.55s, in line with the general UK practice of numbering export versions in the 50+ sequence. Many of these were licence-built by F&W in Emmen, I think.
The fighter jets wont be looked at until "Post 2028" - how suitably vague…
FG and FF are now most likely by far to lead the next Government, which will probably take office in early November.
The realisation of the Commission commitments will remain their responsibility. They'd be silly to not be using the political capital they currently enjoy to keep pushing on defence.
Craughwell won his case. Back in court on the 15th.
https://www.thejournal.ie/state-loses-high-court-action-to-block-senator-gerard-craughwell-case-over-secret-raf-air-policing-deal-6430367-Jul2024/
