Su-57 Stealth Fighter: News #9

Our arrow nosed friend above have a tendency to exaggerate NATzo's capabilities ever so slightly!

All those EU fighters are pretty capable, but the real issue with non-operational stuff is the defense budget cuts and mismanagement in the 90's that slashed deep into the bone all across the EU and the UK.

Arrow wrote:

This was more of a response to GarryB that there has never been a European fighter. When they built about 600 EFs and the Rafale on top of that.

And Gripen, didn't forget Gripen and the same Mirage 2000 that's still in service in consistent numbers.

And about all of them were built in this century and for what it came to Rafale ang Gripen they are still in production.
Would have to compare them to the F-16 that's are actually in service in the same USAF?





Here they are: last one was introduced in 2000 but practically after 1992 they were purchased only in boutique numbers to replace lost ones.
So that there are only 309 Combat Capable ones in the Active Forces of USAF, rest is in ANG or Reserve, so actually semi-retired.

Yeah there are some amazing european fighter and trainer designs. The eurocanards are all pretty awesome. Never liked them much. Reminds me oddly of the strange european affinity for bullpup rifles in the late 20th century.