So what's the "vintage Linux ThinkPad" of fighter aircraft -- capable, maintainable, affordable, and no-nonsense? F-16?
(I'm going to start thinking of my big ThinkPad T520 as an F-15E.)
(I'm going to start thinking of my big ThinkPad T520 as an F-15E.)
The Gripen is powered by the US-made GE F414 engine, so any purchases can still be vetoed by the US government and buyers will be dependent on US supply chains for maintenance.
> The aircraft was also designed from the beginning to be easy to repair and service, even for personnel without much training.
> The digital central computer was the first of its kind in the world, automating and taking over tasks previously requiring a navigator/copilot
> The airframe also incorporated a thrust reverser to use during landings and land manoeuvres, which [...] enabled operations from 500 m airstrips with minimal support.
> By the mid-1980s, Swedish Viggen fighter pilots [...] had managed to achieve radar lock-on with radar on the SR-71 on numerous occasions. Despite heavy jamming from the SR-71, target illumination was maintained by feeding target location from ground-based radars to the fire-control computer in the Viggen.
All around one of the coolest fighter jets ever made. Swedish engineering makes me eat my big fat American heart out every time.
SAAB had originally considered the British Olympus engine for the Viggen, which would have had higher fuel consumption but faster responsiveness and no export tangles.