Luftwaffe Hornets?

[Dawes]

Still nothing official, but it appears to be inching close to reality:

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/germany-order-45-fighter-jets-162946385.html

[DougRichards]

When I first read this I thought it may have been about Me410 Hornisse

[Markus Becker]

 

Looks like it, though the SPD is opposed to it.

 

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/angeblich-heftiger-streit-in-koalition-kramp-karrenbauer-sagt-usa-kauf-von-45-kampfjets-zu/25754292.html

[Simon Tan]

F-15X. At least they can get to St Petersburg unrefuelled with a B61.

[Stuart Galbraith]

So they are going to buy aircraft from a company requiring a 60 billion dollar bailout from the US Government, when they still have the ability (with their European partners) to build aircraft themselves? This seems not altogether well considered.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/boeing-seeks-60-billion-aerospace-bailout-amid-travel-collapse.

 

If they want a long range strike platform, hang Stormshadow on Typhoon. A lot cheaper a solution I would have thought.

[Yama]

Reasoning they have arrived at 'necessity' Super Hornet acquisition is very tortuous and does not resemble our Earth logic. It's better not to even try understand it.

[seahawk]

The need is easy, They need something for SEAD and jamming and something that carries US nukes, preferably in one package.

[Ssnake]

The US is squeezing the Luftwaffe over the nuclear certification issue. And Airbus has overpromised and underdelivered so much, they have nobody but to blame themselves if customer confidence is eroding.

[Stuart Galbraith]

How hard its it to get nuclear certification? All you have to do is loft a shape I would have thought.

[Yama]

How hard its it to get nuclear certification? All you have to do is loft a shape I would have thought.

It can't be too hard, because...Super Hornet doesn't have it.

German plan relies on Super Hornet getting nuclear weapon compability.

[Stuart Galbraith]

[Dawes]

Supposedly, nuclear certification for Super Hornet will be somewhat quicker and less costly than certifying Eurofighter. From what I've read, this process can take years.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Dawes

[Ssnake]

The US will make sure that the Eurofighter will take longer to get the certification than the Luftwaffe can keep the Tornados in the air.

[Nobu]

For better or worse, the US plays hardball in this sector.

[Der Zeitgeist]

For better or worse, the US plays hardball in this sector.

 

And why wouldn't they? They want to sell their products, it's totally reasonable.

 

If the Luftwaffe can get a good price, getting the Super Hornet & Growler sounds like a good deal. Who knows if Airbus can ever turn the Eurofighter into a workable strike platform for the Luftwaffe. Considering how these projects were going in the past, the Hornet might be a lot more viable in the long term.

[Dawes]

As far as long range, heavy strike aircraft, the F-15EX (or some variation) would seem to be a superior choice. And nuclear certification would be straightforward as well.

[R011]

F-15 might be better, but it has a price tag to match. F-18 should do what they want for much less.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Lay down nuclear weapons are obsolete, why is this even a requirement?

[Dawes]

I suppose one consideration would be their ability (in theory) to be recalled at the last minute should that situation arise. Howver, depending on enemy jamming, equipment failure, etc. that may or may not be reliable.

[Stuart Galbraith]

If we are serious about tactical nuclear weapons, she should be developing stand off weapons like stormshadow. Any aircraft carrying the b61 may as well go up with the bomb, because it's not coming back.

[Dawes]

I think even the USAF's new B-21 will undergo nuclear certification (although I stand to be corrected on that). Possibly this feature has been with us so long that it's just "part of the landscape" with new aircraft.

 

It's a little early to speculate, but presumably the Luftwaffe Hornets will be the newer "Block III" variants with conformal tanks, 9,000+ hour airframe, and other upgrades.

[Der Zeitgeist]

Lay down nuclear weapons are obsolete, why is this even a requirement?

 

The B-61 Mod12 is not a simple laydown weapon, it's more like a nuclear JDAM.

[R011]

I have heard the SuperHornet is not nuclear certified as the USN no longer carries nuclear weapons on carriers.

[Nobu]

Based on what it needs, I don't think the Luftwaffe is going to get a good price. I think it will be lucky if it doesn't get screwed.

[Dawes]

Could be FMS or (possibly) a direct commercial sale, if the laws/regulations permit. I believe FMS has additional costs as they do all the paperwork involved.