The fact that Switzerland will buy a fifth-generation F-35A Lightning fighter, since it promises "the highest performance at the lowest price" compared to Typhoon, Rafale and F/A — 18E/F Super Hornet aircraft, is surprising, writes John Vinable, a veteran of the US Air Force (Air Force), a researcher at the Heritage Foundation, in Breaking Defense.
"This decision undoubtedly surprised those who read that the F-35 is just a money pit filled with technical problems. And the cost analysis [by the Swiss side] may even cause surprise in the Pentagon, which based its recent decision to purchase the F-15EX instead of the F-35A on costs, " the expert notes.
The researcher admits that Switzerland, "known for its financial accuracy," could be wrong, but recalls that the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet without equipment costs only $ 4.5 million cheaper than the fully combat-ready F-35A Lightning. At the same time, according to the author, the F-15EX Eagle II, which the US Air Force is buying in addition to the F-35A Lightning, is 13.6 million dollars more expensive than the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
"When you add a set of electronic countermeasures and guidance modules that allow the F-15EX to go into battle, its price jumps to $ 101.1 million, which is $ 22.5 million, or 29 percent more than the combat-ready F-35A," the expert notes.
The author admits that the discrepancy in the estimates of the financial prospects of various fighters by Switzerland and the United States may be a mistake of the first country. "Or maybe the fact that their review was completely independent-not affected by US policy and internal biases of the Pentagon, allowed the F-35A to actually surpass others in price," the expert suggests.
In June, Defense News reported that the Swiss Federal Council decided to purchase Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighters from the United States.
Ivan Potapov