Air-Force Lockheed Martin's offer to Switzerland yesterday includes an option for local assembly of 4 F-35As

[Test7]

Final assembly in Switzerland of all four aircraft would take place between 2028 and 2030.


Previously

Finland, Switzerland Considering F-35s and Super Hornets in Upcoming Fighter Contests​

U.S. Air Force Captain Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team Commander, flies during a demonstration practice near Hill Air Force Base, Utah, April 20, 2020. The F-35A demo team has been regularly practicing at home station in order to stay performance ready for the resumption of the air show seasons. U.S. Air Force Photo


Two non-NATO European countries are considering the purchase of American fighters, as part of two separate international competitions that are underway.

The U.S. State Department has authorized the potential sales of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II and the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet to both Finland and Switzerland.

On Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the department had authorized the two prospective sales to Finland and that DSCA informed lawmakers about the potential foreign military sales.

The total projected cost of the F-35 sale to Finland — which would include 64 jets, 66 F-135 engines, spare parts and equipment like air-to-ground guided weapons and air-to-air missiles — is $12.5 billion, according to a DSCA news release.

Notably, the prospective F-35 sale to Finland includes the Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN), while the potential Swiss sale includes the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS). The Pentagon earlier this year said it would move to the ODIN system after ongoing issues with ALIS plagued the F-35 program.

In the other potential sale, Finland would seek 14 EA-18G Growlers, eight F/A-18F Super Hornets, 50 F/A-18E Super Hornets and 166 F414-GE-400 engines, a DSCA release said. The Super Hornet and Growler sale, should it go through, is projected to be $14.7 billion, including the jets, equipment and other weapons like the Small Diameter Bomb II.

“The proposed sale of F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs and associated weapons will provide Finland with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. Forces,” the DSCA release reads. “The proposed sale will replace Finland’s retiring F/A-18C/Ds and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability. Finland will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.”

The two American fighters are among several programs in an international competition that includes Airbus’ Eurofighter, the Saab-built JAS 39 Gripen and the French Dassault Rafale, according to a Reuters report.


INDIAN OCEAN (July 11, 2020) An F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the ‘Diamondbacks’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 launches from the flight deck of the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). July 11, 2020. US Navy Photo


The Friday announcement about the potential sales to Finland comes after the State Department late last month also sanctioned two potential fighter jet sales to Switzerland. Neither Switzerland nor Finland are NATO partners, and both nations are trying to replace older fighter fleets.

Switzerland would seek 36 F/A-18E Super Hornets and four F/A-18F Super Hornets in a potential sale that includes the fighters, engines and weapons for approximately $7.5 billion, according to DSCA. The Swiss F-35 deal – valued at approximately $6.58 billion – would include 40 jets, 46 F-135 engines and accompanying weapons.

Airbus’ Eurofighter and the French Dassault Rafale are also in contention in the Swiss competition, Reuters recently reported.

If the F/A-18 E/F emerges as the winner for either Switzerland or Finland, it would help manufacturer Boeing continue the Super Hornet production line. While the U.S. Navy in its most recent budget submission sought to end its Super Hornet purchases in Fiscal Year 2021, Boeing has pointed to the ongoing international competitions as a way the company could maintain the production line.

In addition to Switzerland and Finland, Canada, India and Germany also have competitions in which Boeing’s Super Hornet is a candidate.

“We’re likewise very optimistic. Partly because of the significant investment in the Block III evolution, there is a lot of interest in the F-18 and obviously the Growler,” Boeing vice president of international sales for strike Thom Breckenridge told USNI News earlier this year. “The five big competitions that I mentioned represent an opportunity for quantities over 400 aircraft, which is obviously very sizeable – and those, again, are just the public competitions that are underway. So we feel very optimistic also on the international front in terms of the Super Hornet’s ability to win sales and contribute to the production.”

Lockheed’s F-35 is also seeing international interest. Reuters this week reported that Qatar officially appealed to the U.S. to purchase the F-35. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also assessing the possibility of selling the F-35 to the United Arab Emirates.

 

[what]

 

[Blood raven]

Yeah we can wait as long as we want, because even if we give them the s-400.

The Dealbreaker for the patriots were tot AND being manned by american Soldiers.

They dont want us to man any big AA vehicle, because we would indirectly get some ToT from it and the americans are scared by this.

So I think we won't get any f-35 in the future, but lets see

 

[Test7]

Also,

Airbus and the Federal Republic of Germany today submitted their official offer to the Swiss Federal Office of Armaments (Armasuisse) for the sale of EUROFIGHTER aircraft to Switzerland. The offer, which has been prepared in cooperation with the other EUROFIGHTER nations as well as industrial partners Leonardo and BAE Systems, meets the requirements of the so-called new combat aircraft (Neues Kampfflugzeug – NKF) procurement process implemented by Switzerland to replace its F-5 and F/A-18 fleet.

With the EUROFIGHTER, Switzerland will gain full autonomy in the use, maintenance and application of the data from its aircraft. With more than 660 orders, the Eurofighter is by far the most widely used aircraft for securing airspace over Europe. It is operated jointly by the four partner nations Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain, all while undergoing continuous development. Only a few days ago, Germany itself signed the contract for the procurement of 38 EUROFIGHTERs from the latest Tranche 4, with the country offering Switzerland the opportunity to lay the foundations for even closer political, economic and security cooperation by procuring the same type of aircraft.

Co-operation for Switzerland​

Michael Flügger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Switzerland, said: “With this offer, we are inviting Switzerland as our neighbour and reliable partner in security policy and economic matters to protect its airspace with the EUROFIGHTER and to close cooperation between our air forces. For Germany, Switzerland is not just a customer, but a strategic ally with whom we would like to further intensify our already close cooperation. The EUROFIGHTER is the only platform jointly developed and operated by several European nations and would therefore be an ideal solution for Switzerland”.

Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said: “With the offer submitted today, we want to show that the Eurofighter is the best overall package for Switzerland. It is the most modern fighter aircraft currently built in Europe and meets all the requirements demanded by Switzerland. By providing construction data and other important information, Switzerland will be given complete and independent control of the Eurofighter, guaranteeing full transparency. With over 200 suppliers in the Confederation, Airbus is already a strong partner for Switzerland, and we look forward to expanding this cooperation even further”.