D
Deleted member 13312
Guest
Ah the F2, a living example of how you can take an already successful design and muck it up beyond expectations. 98 units at a price of 127 million USD per unit in 2009 ? That's 5th gen price tag right there.
I'm no expert on the F2. Please can you tell us how and what they done to it (I take it its the F16) to warrant such a price tag?
Thanks
D
Deleted member 13312
Guest
Different construction methods, new technologies that was used (F-2 was the first with an AESA radar), licensing fees for LM, general contractor incompetence........ the list is endless. But suffice to say that Japan could have just license produced the F-16 wholesale and it would still be cheaper.
from wiki...
P-1 MPA Armament
- Hardpoints: 8 (2x on each wing and 2x on each wing root) and eight internal bomb bay stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,842 lb) +,with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Missiles:
- Bombs:
- Other:
- 30+ pre-loaded , 70+ deployable from inside
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
F2 also has some aero dynamic changes it’s not a stock F16 but has longer wider wings a 25% increase and tail. Larger nose, larger intake, more powerful engine, Newer composite materials. It really should be considered less a modification of the F16 and more a totally different aircraft. The biggest reasons for the cost though was that not only was it a totally new fighter but one built only for Japan. That meant that only about 102 were built. And when it comes to this sort of thing the more belt the more R&D and overhead are spread around. So each unit ended up costing 127 million in 2009. 155.7 million today.
Yeah, you are talking to a bean-counter here. So the cost. Etc I fully understand.
But why bother, when you are not getting a substantial better aircraft? I don't know this. So are they getting a much much better aircraft than the F16?
It just seem it's all done because of other considerations. I don't know. Can someone tell us the performance difference between the F16 and F2.
The F-2 program was a necessary step in the learning curve and the entry price to pay for Japan to become a serious player in fighter jet development. Among all the aspirants like India, Turkey, S. Korea etc., Japan has the greatest chance of success because of her F-2 program.