what about the buying of second hand fighters?

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 30

I wrote in order to comment and hearing your opinion about the tendency developing in our countries, at least in mine, of
refurbishing old fighters often second hand ones instead of buying new hardware. I think examples are paramount, here in
Spain we have second hand Mirage F-1 from France and Qatar and
second hand F-18 from the US Navy and Marines. Now Italy is
considering even second hand Mig-29. My opinion on the subject is that the money should be employed in accelerating the Eurofighter program and that the second hand buying is simply
a simptom of bad political management.

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 12,009

RE: what about the buying of second hand fighters?

Upgrading an older aircraft, such as Romania's MiG-29 SNIPER, is a viable option for a smaller country that lacks a huge defense budget. You get an increase in performance for not so much in cost (at least in comparison to buying new). Italy is probably looking at MiG-29's because their lease on the Tornado F.3 is going to run out well before they will have Eurofighters. You have to remember that the F.3 (and maybe the MiG-29 eventually) was taking over the air defense role from the F-104S/ASA. So they still got a more capable aircraft, just not a new one.

However, I do agree with you that maybe they need to be focusing on the Eurofighter instead of continually looking for another stop-gap fighter. They have too much invested in it anyway.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 30

RE: what about the buying of second hand fighters?

Hi, I do agree with you in the Sniper program but what I was trying to talk about is the aparent contradiction that exist
in financing Eurofighter development and simultaneously retarding
the actual orders ending in situations as the one of the Italian airforce wich has run out oftime even after its second option with F-3 leasing. I think you will agree with me in the fact that
almost 20 years of playing with a project is more than enough,
not to talk about french Rafales .I think Grippen is the only exception.