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The Swiss only allowed operational aircraft to compete and therefore recommended SAAB to withdraw the Gripen E/F which is still being tested. The Gripen C would not have stood a chance, because according to a leaked report from 2008 the Swiss had already found it to be inferior to the F/A-18C.nils wrote: ↑28 Sep 2020, 11:28 surprised not to see the Gripen in the selection, not even the C/D version. i think this would have been an ideal platform for the selection, especially since the type was favored last time for the F-5 replacement (in wich the country voted no in the last referendum).
I do not think you can make an assessment like that. The Air Force sets out a whole set of requirements and in addition the government sets economic offset requirements. An air force will assess based on performance, missions (A2A, SEAD, DEAD, IDS, CAS, ECM, Recce) capabilities (speed, combat range, ceiling, radar etc), compatibility (communications, Air Defence integration, infrastructure etc), weapons, lifespan (flight hours per airframe), logistics, maintenance, overall costs etc. There is no such thing as an 'overkill' in capabilities. No Air Force would punish a contender as 'too good' (this aircraft has a kill ratio of 1:200....nah, lets choose a model with a 1:2 kill ratio, so the enemy also has a chance!!). You either can perform the mission, or you can't. Also your statement about air policing only is most probably not correct. In the previous competition, air to ground capabilities was one of the main subjects on which aircraft were tested. Also your assumptions about pooling with other countries is quite unlikely given the neutral status of Switzerland. So in the end the air force will assess which platform can accomplish the missions they require, send their final report to their procurement department and they will negotiate a deal with the remaining contenders. The result will be presented to the MoD, who will then go to the government to get approval for the purchase.nils wrote: ↑28 Sep 2020, 11:28 for the Swiss, i think the Rafale or Typhoon would be the best option.
the F-35A with its stealth capability seems overkill for a neutral nation, especially when its for air defence only.
you dont need stealth for that.
the Super Hornet could be operated (along with the typhoon) together with Germany who recently selected the type to replace the Tornado ECR and nuclear wired IDS. also, transition from the C/D legacy model should be smooth and could not require infrastructure changes.
however, its not that maneuvrable as the legacy hornet and is more focused for Air-to-ground missions, also the type could be obsolete by 2040/45.
giving Austria's experience with the Typhoon, they could jointly operate the type allong with Germany and exchange experiences and spares.
however, the Typhoon is the most expensive of the 4, both in acuasition and operating costs.
Rafale seems to be the best option for the swiss. its very capable, multirole and its not that expensive compared to the Typhoon.
however, as the Swiss Air Force mostly arms its aircraft with US made weaponry, the Rafale is not compatible with most of it, so they would have to buy a new arselal of French made ordnance to go with it.
surprised not to see the Gripen in the selection, not even the C/D version. i think this would have been an ideal platform for the selection, especially since the type was favored last time for the F-5 replacement (in wich the country voted no in the last referendum).
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