Forum: F-16 Procedures

Does anyone have info how operating costs for the F-16 block 32 and F-5E / F for 1 hour and how much maintenance costs both planes.
I'm from Indonesia and please help me, i really appreciate your help Smile

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for F16= 3600$
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yakuza wrote:

for F16= 3600$
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Ah. thank you very much Very Happy

But, how about operating cost for F-5E/F, can u help me?

Quote:

Recent estimates show that the F-5 can be operated at one third of what it costs to operate an F/A-18.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... ft/f-5.htm

Quote:

The industry source said that Super Hornet flying hour costs are about $5,000 an hour.

Quote:

Cost per flight hour of the combined F-18A-D and AV-8 fleets is estimated to be about $19,000 per hour;
F-35B/C cost per flight hour is estimated to be about $31,000

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/01/12/navai ... -jsf-woes/

Operating costs are not that easy

- Circumstances differ by country: wages, taxes etc
- Also fuel costs differ by country
- What engine type?
- Maintenance can differ a lot: More engines > Lower costs per engine
- How many flying hours a year per pilot?
- Are jets also flying operational missions?
- How old is the jet?
- How many maintenance personnel per jet?
- Does a jet often fly with heavy loadings?
- Are also other costs included?

A different counting can be:
Does a country use a average prize of all operating costs of all jets in one year as operating costs?
As for an example Belgium and the Netherlands does use most of such costs as operating costs per flying hour.

F16: Belgium and the Netherlands (2010):
- Both countries €20.000 per flying hour per F16 MLU
- In dollars: US$ 27,150 per flying hour per F16 (Rate: sept. 2011)

Source:
- Belgium: Letter Parliament
- Netherlands: ex general D. Berlijn, commodore Dutch Air Force

As you see this differs a lot. Their operating costs roughly are a equivalent of 9 higher
then the $3000-$4000 per flying hour

Compared for instance with the US, anyway one counts, operating cost will always be a lot higher
because of, as for instance higher taxes in these both countries

yakuza wrote:

Quote:

Recent estimates show that the F-5 can be operated at one third of what it costs to operate an F/A-18.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... ft/f-5.htm

Quote:

The industry source said that Super Hornet flying hour costs are about $5,000 an hour.

Quote:

Cost per flight hour of the combined F-18A-D and AV-8 fleets is estimated to be about $19,000 per hour;
F-35B/C cost per flight hour is estimated to be about $31,000

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/01/12/navai ... -jsf-woes/

As said in the article: F35-B/C, $31000 by "a source"!
Personally I would not take any article serious when someone uses: a source!

It’s hardly not possible giving real accurate costs per flying hour of a (military) aircraft
A lot of maintenance/flying costs per hour are unknown or not/never mentioned.
Even that, some costs can`t be given at all, because no one knows at a min. of Defence of a military force
(Not that fund of Wheeler, but he wrote quite a good article about this subject)

Another problem concerning a new generation aircraft, they can not be compared with a older generation.
As for example, you can not compare a aircraft generation from 1925 (two wings, wood/linen)
with a generation type as the P-51 (single wing, metal) or for instance a Spitfire.

Concerning the F35, basically figures to compare are or will be used with figures of the F15, F16 or F18.
The only aircraft type either to compare that can be used is the F22
But, this is the first of such a type and one still has to experience what the eventual costs will be.
Either, they differ that much from each other, within a generation, as a F16 to a F15

So at the moment the F35 stands more or less for his own.

Concerning a F16, to some extend a indication of the costs of a F16C/D:
In 2010: Indication at that time, costs of a F35A >15% per flying hour above a F16C/D

The 2010 F-35 Selected Acquisition Report purports a $15,190 cost per flying hour for the F-35A, not including indirect costs.
It is a cost just 15 percent above an allegedly commensurate cost shown for the F-16C/D. (Source: as revered to by wheeler)

Without knowing what the real costs of a F16 exactly are, his figure is quite a lot more then
figures like a $3000-$4000 range

There is much more a problem about the so called “low cost” drones:
- These figures show the costs of the air vehicle, but not are mentioned for instance the additional and high ground operating costs as well.
- Secondly, the average figure of drones were lost (international): at least 30% has been lost within 10 years.
- Count this over 30 years, all of the ordered drones by a military force are lost.

Thank you very much Mr M.
Actually my problem is the plan to replace the F-5E / F Indonesia's air force with F-16 block 32 grants from the USA or the Gripen-39 or SU-35BM. Here arises the issue of whether the apparent cost of maintenance and operational F-5E / F is lower than the F-16. And as a proper replacement for the F-5E / F, light fighter aircraft which kind of fits with the geography of our country as well as an air force neighboring countries, especially Australia and Malaysia.

Are you referring to neighboring countries as allies (interoperability concerns) or as potential adversaries (combat performance concerns)?

I would say that the F-5E/F is not very capable, though it is cost-effective. If money is a massive issue, I'd look at what Thailand has done with their F-5Ts. If it is not so much an object, examine the F-16. The Gripen is a good aircraft, but a bit expensive for what you really get. And finally, if you're willing to accept higher sustainment costs, the Su-35BM Flanker-E is probably the most capable of all these. However, its maintenance costs (typical of Russian hardware) are high.

Quite cheap eheh

Forum: F-16 Procedures

How operating costs for the F-16 block 32 and F-5E / F