JF-17/FC-1 Fighter Aircraft thread
- Thread starter johnqh
- Start date
From Denmark. Probably no medium range missiles or antiship missiles or MLU upgrade package.
Argentina is embroiled in an IMF bailout package, thus the US has huge clout over Argentina. Compared to Block 3, non-BVR and non-naval capable Vipers may be forced upon Argentine which to be honest would be good enough in almost all cases/scenarios except the Falkland Island.
If the USA doesn't want Argentinians to procure an aircraft from china then they can ensure the same as they have enough leverage to achieve their target. The actual problem is not only Argentine, a successful project there may lead to a follow-on order by Bolivia and maybe a few more South American countries.
If the USA doesn't want Argentinians to procure an aircraft from china then they can ensure the same as they have enough leverage to achieve their target. The actual problem is not only Argentine, a successful project there may lead to a follow-on order by Bolivia and maybe a few more South American countries.
If they are indeed from Denmark, then they're of the F-16AM/BM standard. They, alongside the European Partner Air Forces (EPAF), received MLU upgrades in the late 90s to bring them in line with the USAF's own front line Block 50 Vipers (the USAF's only front line unit that uses older Block 40s are the Vipers posted in Aviano, Italy).
As such the Dane's old Vipers do have features ranging from helmet mounted display, data link, as well as to the ability to fire AMRAAM BVR missiles. The Danes even took a step further from their EPAF counterparts when the MLUs were rolled out and ordered LANTIRN targeting pods used for low level night flying as well as dropping GBU (laser guided) bombs. They were also the first EPAF country to integrate JDAMs (GPS) bombs onto their Vipers.
AFAIK, the only EPAF country that procured anti-ship missile firing capability were the Norwegians, and even then they were only integrated with the ability to fire older Penguin anti-ship missiles rather than the more modern Harpoons.
The only drawback with the second hand Danish Vipers really is the lack of an AESA radar.... oh and also these jets are like 30 years old.
To bring things back to the topic thread - given the financial state of the country as well as recent political developments, I still think the Argentines would get the best bang for their buck with the JF-17s (especially if they somehow got their hands on the Block 3).... but then again I'm definitely biased with my opinion.
True. If I am Argentina, I would just announce the Air Force upgrade is not an urgency and wait until IMF bailout money is in the bank.
What the airframe is capable of and whether America will sell and maintain those missiles are totally different things.
Americans will not sell F-16s to Argentina under any circumstances, nor will any country that is not hostile to the UK right now, which rules out any used fighter from Europe. Any fighter jet with western components is out, unless they want to run them with black market spares like Iran did with their F-14s. Using western platforms to fight a western power is a dumb strategy and is what cost them in the Falklands war.
Even France which used to have their own foreign policy is unlikely to help them unless Anglo-French relations get very bad.
Previously even Russia agreed to UK demands to not sell fighter jets to Argentina. That's probably now back on the table, although a lot of Russian exports often use western components so I'm not sure how real that option is. Apart from the Falklands Argentina is a very western orientated country, and buying into Russian platforms right now isn't going to help that.
If Argentina want an air force their only real option is China IMO. Not having an air force seems reasonable to me if they're not planning on taking back the Falklands, they've solved pretty much all their region disputes. If they do want to change things up in the Falklands, they it'll cost them a few billion in military imports. Money I'm not sure they have.
Even France which used to have their own foreign policy is unlikely to help them unless Anglo-French relations get very bad.
Previously even Russia agreed to UK demands to not sell fighter jets to Argentina. That's probably now back on the table, although a lot of Russian exports often use western components so I'm not sure how real that option is. Apart from the Falklands Argentina is a very western orientated country, and buying into Russian platforms right now isn't going to help that.
If Argentina want an air force their only real option is China IMO. Not having an air force seems reasonable to me if they're not planning on taking back the Falklands, they've solved pretty much all their region disputes. If they do want to change things up in the Falklands, they it'll cost them a few billion in military imports. Money I'm not sure they have.
Bollox. The Russians only added Western components on customer demand. One example is the Su-30. The Chinese export Su-30MKK is nearly all Russian components, and the Indian one Su-30MKI has lots of Western content in it. And since Western sanctions in 2014 after annexation of Crimea the Russians can't make contracts to buy military components from the West anyways.