Eliar
Well-known member
Thing is... it's also a pretty good deal for us as we're providing used versions, due to a "small detail" in the plane's roadmap. See, one of the duckie's very strong points is that its upgrades are insanely easy to set up, you can go from an old standard to a new one directly in the hangar, without going back to the factory, swap equipment and the like very easily. At least, until the next standard, the F4. That one will involve new cable setups and equipment that isn't retrofittable to previous planes without some really big work, so there will be a F4.1 and a F4.2 standard, respectively for the current planes being upgraded (that will have the upgrades to existing sensors, the new software, weapons, etc.) and the new ones to be built, which will not be compatible between each other. So, by offering lightly used planes to foreign customers, we can make the sales quickly while using the money to get newly-built F4.2 planes will all the bells and whistles as a much lower price.
We dont care.
All your Canards belong to us!
And if the generals get their way we will be dropping the F-35 in the far off future options along with the legacy Block 30 F16 and will be getting +2+20 Canards to plug the gaping holes in the HA left by more than a decade of austerity along with the offered French frigates.
For all the time I have been lurking in some vet FB pages I have never seen such enthusiasm over French weapons.
It is usually F-35 this or the latest Russian *superweapon* that. Lately they have been all about Rafales, their dr00lworthy missiles and sexy sleek French frigates!?