F-35 vs F/A-18 XT

botsing · by **botsing** » 05 Aug 2017, 17:17

blindpilot wrote:
The F-18XT is whatever you want it to be ...

MHO
BP

And with that you amplify what I tried to tell:

botsing wrote:It is often forgotten that with advanced technology the adversary needs to spend more resources to counter it. Any possible ability you add to your platforms means another variable that your adversary has to take into account and spend resources on.

blindpilot · by **blindpilot** » 05 Aug 2017, 18:16

botsing wrote:
blindpilot wrote:
The F-18XT is whatever you want it to be ...

MHO
BP

And with that you amplify what I tried to tell:
botsing wrote:It is often forgotten that with advanced technology the adversary needs to spend more resources to counter it. Any possible ability you add to your platforms means another variable that your adversary has to take into account and spend resources on.

Actually I don't have a problem with that. It's one thing that is good about the new F-16V Vipers, in production F-15s, and Super Hornets. And upgrading the existing fleets makes good sense.

My issue (and it's true of the Eurocarnards as well) is that the quoted price is always for a base model, maybe or maybe not yet painted (you have to choose the color!) ..., and the "features" are all the options, "you can add on." It's like going to a car salesman, and when you sign the contract, there's two pages of add on charges, that you thought were included, including the mysterious "dealer prep." And your "only $30,000" price has become "$52,186.12 before taxes.... What county do you live in? ..."

The F-35 base price includes the "EW pods, AESA radar, EO/IRST sensor pod, nav pod, all radios, full VLO stealth, HMD, LPI inter flight data/comm, external fuel tank range equivalents, etc. etc. " all in the one price.

You will NOT get an equivalent "whatever you want," 4+ gen version for "only $79M!" That's plain old used car dealer talk. And the F-18XT drips with it. If you want to add on a $50M upgrade to your $50M aircraft already bought, that's cool, and can be a good deal ... but make no mistake ... That aircraft costs you $100M.

Let's keep the apples with the apples ... which the Danes did quite well.

MHO
BP