Patrick Drennan
While many nations have committed to buying American jet fighters like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning, its price ($US100 million per unit), high maintenance and operational costs ($6.6million per year), including the cost of its missiles, have seen many American allies look for alternatives. So, considering the approximate unit price in U.S. dollars, who are the main competitors?
The French Dassault Rafale-F4 jet fighter sells for $250 million each and costs about $3.5 million per year to maintain. The Eurofighter Typhoon, representing the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain, costs about $120 million per plane, and also about $3.5 million per year to operate (based on a 2023 fleet of 137 aircraft and a 2024 parliamentary report). Since Sweden joined NATO in March 2024 it has raced to develop its Gripen E-series jet fighters to be compatible with organizational standards. While lacking the stealth of the F-35, its PS-05/A pulse-doppler radar may give it an edge in complex combat scenarios. While the Gripen sells for about $85 million per unit, it has significantly lower flight costs than its competitors (about $7,500 per hour) It can land on motorways, and a small ground crew can refuel and re-arm the aircraft in under 20 minutes.
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