The high cost of fighter aircraft acquisition is currently forcing countries to embark on their own programmes in the process challenging the price and performance of American and European fighters. Turkey, South Korea, India, China, and Pakistan claim to beat out western aircraft on cost. What should really worry airplane manufacturers such as Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin, and Saab is that some of the fighter plane manufacturers from the above countries are eyeing the export market for relatively lower-priced fighter aircraft. This has come at a time when some countries in Asia, Africa and South America are looking to replace their Vietnam-era planes such as the F-5s, MIRAGE F-1s and MiG-21s with more modern planes.
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| Countries are shying away from traditional high cost fighter aircraft in vue of developing their own indigenous designs, or buying from cheaper alternatives. (Photo: Eurofighter) |
Under the KFX project, South Korea seeks to deploy 120 fighters after 2023 to replace its aging fleets of F-4s and F-5s. More on this here. Indonesia is actively pushing armaments development programmes in partnership with other countries, such as the KFX/IFX advanced fighter jet with South Korea.
Japan is currently opening up to global defence business. Its planned Mitsubishi ATD-X ShinShin developed by Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) Technical Research and Development Institute is a first of its kind jet fighter with some advanced technology not even available in western fighters. This fighter is being developed as a Fifth Generation Fighter to form the mainstay of the Japanese Self Defence Forces. Japan plans to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-15s planes.
Early July, Philippine’s President Benigno Aquino III announced that two of the 12 FA-50 fighter jets will be delivered to the Philippines from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for $420 million (the rest of it will follow three years after).
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| The Philippine's Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released the special allotment release order (SARO) for the 12 lead-in fighter trainer jets (FA-50) to be acquired by the government from South Korea that will pave the way for the implementation of the P18.9 billion project. (Photo: KIA) |
According to analysis and reports, the Chinese J-10 fighter jet sold for less than U$40 million; whereas by contrast, the US F-16, a similar class aircraft in active service, costs U$65 million. FC-1 fighter jets, K-8 jet trainers, and light attack aircraft are produced from joint research and design between China and Pakistan. As the F-35 fighter continues to grapple with cost overruns and technical issues concerning F-35 fighter jets, the spotlight falls on the Chinese J-20 and J-31 stealth aircraft, which may emerge as a low cost alternative to America’s most expensive military plane.
Burma has decided that the Chinese JF-17, which is called the FC-1 XIAOLONG in China, is the way to go, mainly because of low price and China has offered to set up an assembly operation in Burma to build the aircraft. If the report is accurate, it would make Myanmar the first foreign purchaser of the jet. Currently, only Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF) operates the J-17 with 54 aircraft operational including six prototypes. The JF-17 is a lightweight single engine multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by China and Pakistan. It can be armed with a variety of bombs and missiles and the standard export price for the JF-17 Block I is $20 million and Block 2 being $25 million. Pakistan is the most likely buyer for the J-31 twin-engine, mid-sizeFifth Generation Fighter, at this moment following their joint development work on the JF-17 THUNDER advanced fighter.
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| The JF-17 is quietly being called the Muslim fighter, as it is the Islamic world's first fighter jet. |
Pakistan is trying to persuade Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and Qatar to buy some JF-17s, largely because Pakistan uses them and it is the only high-performance jet fighter developed and built (assembled) in a Moslem country. Turkey has been assembling F-16s since the 1980s and produces components as well. But China plays up Pakistan’s minor role in developing the JF-17, which is a popular thing in the Muslim world.
Turkey hopes that the indigenous TF-X will fly by 2023. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been debating three designs. The Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSIK) decided to design, develop, and manufacture an indigenous next generation air-to-air combat fighter that would replace Turkey's F-16 fleet and work together with the F-35 in a next generation dual fighter fleet. For the preconceptual design work, TAI extensively cooperated with Saab. The SSM said Turkey would eventually buy 100 to 150 of the TF-X. This year, SSM wrote to three engine makers, GE, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce, asking them to propose a suitable engine for the TF-X, expecting to select an engine before the end of the year.
India’s TEJAS Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has been long in development but the programme has accelerated over the last few years with a limited series of aircraft flying with the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft is in the Saab GRIPEN class and is rumored to satisfy the IAF’s demand for a replacement for the MiG-21. India’s co-development of a fifth-generation fighter with Russia has not progressed quite as smoothly as the top brass in the Indian Air Force (IAF) had hoped. The Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) was meant to radically upgrade India’s air strength through the combination of Russian expertise and Indian financing. Instead, the IAF has been lambasting the FGFA since at least last December over a series of design flaws. India’s also not happy about a perceived unequal split of work between the two countries, in addition to mushrooming expenses, and inadequate engines for the plane.
In January, the IAF took criticism of the FGFA a step further when the deputy chief of air staff complained that its engines and stealth capabilities - key components of a Fifth-Generation Fighter - were far from adequate. Regardless of the IAF’s actual views on the FGFA, military cooperation between Russia and India is likely to continue - Russia currently supplies India with 75% of its arms imports. The co-venture between Russia and India to develop a fifth-generation fighter has been in the works since 2010. The Russian T-50 variant of the FGFA has had some success, while the Indian variant is expected to begin extensive flight testing in India in 2014.
Canada is also looking for a next-generation fighter to replace the aging CF-18 HORNET for not more than $1.5 billion, with final delivery between 2026 and 2035. Whether the Harper government goes with the Lockheed Martin F-35s, the Boeing Super HORNET, the Dassault“Canadianized” RAFALE fighter, or something else altogether, it needs to decide soon so it can continue to support NATO efforts or defend Arctic airspace from Russian infringement.
Brazil will lease 10 JAS-39C/D GRIPENs as interim fighters from 2016 – 2018, with the 1st batch of six arriving in time to fly over the Rio Olympics. The agreement also includes training, and a pair of Brazilian pilots will begins conversion training in May 2015. The JAS-39E/F fighters that follow will have some important differences, but they will also have many important similarities, so the lease will serve double duty as an early familiarization period. The contract is still being negotiated, but the basic premise is that Sweden will loan the fighters, and Brazil will pay operating costs. Defining what that means will still be a bit of work, of course. Brazil and Saab have signed advance agreements on defence cooperation, which layed the foundation for the future GRIPEN contract. The industrial goal is to be able to produce 80% of the plane in Brazil, which has future implications given that final Brazilian orders over time are estimated at 60 – 104 fighters. Equally significant, the accompanying security agreements include access to the GRIPEN’s source code. That will allow Brazil to add its own weapons to the new fighters, increasing the global attractiveness of both Saab’s GRIPENs and of Brazil’s weapons.
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| GRIPEN E/F (Photo: Saab) |
Earlier this year, a thin majority of Swiss voted against replacing Switzerland's aging fleet of fighter jets with 22 GRIPENs at a cost of $3.5 billion. The Swiss government's budget for next year has now swung from a deficit to a CHF500 million surplus after it made spending cuts and voters decided against buying new fighter jets. Now this does not mean that Switzerland will not replace its aging fighter jet fleet, but might opt for another option, or even buy fewer GRIPENs...watch this space for developments.
Qatar says it is to spend €15 billion on upgrading its military equipment while Dassault Aviation hopes to secure a contract for the RAFALE, with heavy competition from Eurofighter's TYPHOON.
Malaysia has shortlisted manufacturers as it seeks to buy 18 combat aircraft by 2015 to replace its ageing fleet of Russian-made MIG-29s. The candidates are the TYPHOON, JAS-39 GRIPEN, RAFALE, F/A 18E/F Super HORNET, and the Su-30. Reports suggest that just three manufacturers will submit leasing options.
Africa’s Air Forces are on a buying spree. Flush with oil cash, many African states are investing heavily in modern multirole jet fighters. Some of the most interesting acquisitions involve modern, or modernised, Russian hardware. The Sukhoi Su-30 is a particular favorite of African governments. The Su-25 ground-attack plane is also popular, as are the EMB-314 Super TUCANO attack turboprop and K-8 and F-7 light fighters, the latter an improved version of the venerable MiG-21.
The Chief of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, said in April, that the government has approved the acquisition of fighter aircraft. However, he did not disclose the type of aircraft involved in the new acquisition plans, or numbers.