this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 35 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium will be sending their F16s to Ukraine. I guess that means they'll need to replenish their fleet by buying new American jets.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago

They're sending them because they already have new F-35s.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

F-35s are absurdly expensive compared to F-16s though

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They are also incredibly more capable.

Most militaries are going with a mix of F-35 for their capability as well as cheaper aircraft or high-capability drones for the sheer volume. Both have their place.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (6 children)

maintenance cost on F-35s are sort of absurd

tbh I'm not convinced that high-maintenance stealth aircraft will have a role in modern conflicts. The Russia-Ukraine war is highlighting the issues with over engineered Western weapons in sustained conflict. If you don't dominate the opponent logistically, they're impractical.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The Russia-Ukraine war is highlighting the issues with over engineered Western weapons in sustained conflict. If you don’t dominate the opponent logistically, they’re impractical.

Thats an odd take considering a relatively small number of western weapons in the hands of talented Ukrainian defenders are holding back the entire stockpile of Soviet weapons designed to conquer Europe. If anything its highlighting the "over engineering" for survivability is allowing the much smaller Ukrainian army to win against the alternative of simple Soviet designs en mass.

I will point how however that the USA isn't using F-35 exclusively, but also F-15EX which is much cheaper. They compliment each other well for their suited goals.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

Your enemies logistics are irrelevant if you can precisely bomb their logistics lines with impunity with stealth air dominance. The Ukraine-Russia war is very different from a conflict involving tier 1 militaries. Neither side is capable of dominating the air. US/NATO war doctrine is air dominance on day one.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

Ukraine is using a limited amount of relatively old western weapons. The atacams it got are 30 years old and only cluster ones. If it got a fair amount of the normal ones, that are already all but deprecated in USA, that alone would be somewhat of a game changer. There is nothing wrong with over-engineered weapons.

I'm trying to picture any other sustained conflict with western weapons and nothing comes to mind.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Maintenance for the f16 is far from zero and a lot of the components are made with very outdated processes.

I assume the adjusted for inflation cost is still higher. But there are reasons countries are upgrading even if the f35 is of questionable value

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

tbh I’m not convinced that high-maintenance stealth aircraft will have a role in modern conflicts.

A take so hot that it can only be handled with high energy magnetic fields! If nothing else the United States, China, and Russia disagree with you as all three have built and are fielding such aircraft.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

F35 matience cost is ~2x of an F16. They are not out of control like the f22.