Romania intends to buy another F-16 squadron

[SipahSalar]

India has Su 30 and not Su 27

It's an updated version. Just like F-16 has blocks, Russians had Su-27, Su-30, Su-34, Su 35. It's the exact same plane with minor changes. It's just the soviet way. They do the same thing with S-300. An upgraded S-300 is called S-400. Exact same missile.

It is like saying F18 are rebranded version of F16.

Totally irrelevant example. F-18 is a completely new plane. Su-30 is just an Su-27 with some gimmicks and a new paint job.

 

[jhungary]

Seriously...F16 was designed in late 60's. Today is 2015. With US Air force stop ordering F16, the future of F16 is zero. Now you buy a new fighter assuming that it will serve you for next 30 years. So would you use 1960 fighter in 2030 or 2040's wars

You cannot say today F-16 (Block 52 -) is the same F-16 A Block 10 rolled out from the Assembly line in 1980s. There are tons of upgrade to make the bird from 20th century to 21st. Just look at the cockpit

F16A Block 15 circa 1980s

block 52 cockpit

block 30 cockpit

see the different??

 

[Armstrong]

I'm just talking to a friend right now ,from what we're seeing,the cost for those 530 km is about 10-11 billion,so...yeah,they stole 19-20 billion .....with those money they could have built another 530 km ( 10-11 billion) and still have some 9-10 billion left for around 60 nice Rafales....I feel like grabbing a gun and go beserk........

Don't buy the Rafales as @Gabriel92 gets a cut-out of every single Rafale sold !

Though on the other hand it may not be so bad as Gabriel promised to do a hoola dance while wearing pink tights and dressing up like the Queen of England, right there in the middle of Paris for every 10 Rafales sold !

 

[ito]

No...it's a SU-27 but instead of going the American way and naming them BLK15,40,...52...etc,they called their upgrades SU-30

The F18 is a totally different jet in regards t the F16.

Sry dude,you've tried to be a smartass and failed.

what ever makes you happy.

F16A Block 15 circa 1980s



block 52 cockpit



block 30 cockpit

see the different??

If you are buying a new fighter, you plan it to use it for next 30 to 40 years.

Would you fly a F16 in 2040?

 

[flamer84]

If you are buying a new fighter, you plan it to use it for next 30 to 40 years.

Would you fly a F16 in 2040?

Except that we're not buying a new fighter but a MLU one and we intend to use them for 15-16 years.The intent of the program is a stop gap measure (until early 2030's) and aclimatising RoAF with Western jets.

 

[jhungary]

what ever makes you happy.



If you are buying a new fighter, you plan it to use it for next 30 to 40 years.

Would you fly a F16 in 2040?

Rather the question is, would the USAF fly a B-52 airframe over 50 years?? The answer is yes.

Actually, commercial aviation put more stress than military aviation, simply because they logged more flight time per airframe with commercial plane than military fighter and airline have no problem flying Boeing airframe that been operated for a good 50 years. Airline only change or upgrade their airframe only either the aircraft is totalled, crashed or not profitable.

It is the same with military aviation, the only different is you don't change airframe that is simply "old" as long as it can still maintain, and it still get the edge, then they will still flies it. That's the eternal truth

Also, most F-16 airframe made during the 60s, 70s and 80s are already retired (scrapped, put into museum or storing in boneyard). Even if Romania is buying Blk 30 made in the 90s, they can still fly them at least til 2030s or even 2040 if they are careful with it. And by then still not many country have 5th Gen in their stock, even less with any meaningful number and F-16 would still give Romania the edge over majority of the country and suited their need.

 

[ito]

Rather the question is, would the USAF fly a B-52 airframe over 50 years?? The answer is yes.

Actually, commercial aviation put more stress than military aviation, simply because they logged more flight time per airframe with commercial plane than military fighter and airline have no problem flying Boeing airframe that been operated for a good 50 years. Airline only change or upgrade their airframe only either the aircraft is totalled, crashed or not profitable.

It is the same with military aviation, the only different is you don't change airframe that is simply "old" as long as it can still maintain, and it still get the edge, then they will still flies it. That's the eternal truth

Also, most F-16 airframe made during the 60s, 70s and 80s are already retired (scrapped, put into museum or storing in boneyard). Even if Romania is buying Blk 30 made in the 90s, they can still fly them at least til 2030s or even 2040 if they are careful with it. And by then still not many country have 5th Gen in their stock, even less with any meaningful number and F-16 would still give Romania the edge over majority of the country and suited their need.

I would not compare B-52, a bomber with a main stray fighter such as F16 simply because main stray fighter will be used more often and therefore operate more in enemies' vision and in much more extreme situations than a bomber would.

And again I would not compare commercial aviation with military aviation because safety is the prime requirement for commercial aviation while winning the game against the enemy is more important for military fighters.

Though you have point....if none of your enemies operate 5th gen fighters or you have no enemies than F16s or any 4.5 gen fighters are more than sufficient till 2040's

 

[mr rocket science]

@ito COME ON YOU DODO BIRD ......QUIT DEFENDING YOUR RIDICULOUS POINT JUST ACCEPT THAT F16 IS A CAPABLE PLATFORM NO MATTER WHAT TIME,OCCASION IT IS...IT WILL ALWAYS WILL BE THOUGHT AS CAPABLE ENEMY NO MATTER WHICH AIRCRAFT IT WOULD FACE....IT IS BATTLE AND TIME PROVEN THAT IT IS THE BEST PLANE FOR DOG FIGHT IN THESE DAYS AS WELL.....AND ADVICE FOR YOU GET A LIFE MAN QUIT BOTHERING OTHERS WITH YOUR NONSENSICAL PHILOSOPHIES AND VIEWS