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Dutch Publish Price Estimates for Eurofighter, Rafale
Posted by Joris Janssen Lok at 4/9/2008 11:52 PM CDT
Location: The Netherlands About Me: Joris Janssen Lok is the Senior European Editor for AVIATION WEEK's Defense Technology International (DTI) magazine. My Company/Organization: AVIATION WEEK My Job Function: Senior European Editor, DTI My Areas of Expertise: Defense & Security (Air / Land / Maritime / NATO)
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... 29037b3aa7
If the Netherlands would order Dassault Aviation Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoons, it would have to pay up to 207 million euros ($327 million) per Rafale aircraft, and at least 112.5 million euros ($178 million) per Typhoon aircraft, the country's defense ministry has communicated to the Parliament in The Hague.
However, neither the required Rafale Standard F4 nor Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 versions are currently available, and it is unsure how and when these will be developed, the ministry adds.
Both fighter types are alternative candidates to meet a requirement for a next-generation fighter aircraft to replace the aging Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BMs operated by the Dutch.
The Netherlands is committed to Lockheed Martin's F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, being a Level 2 partner in that program and being close to ordering its first two F-35As for testing.
However, some factions in Dutch politics still prefer a European fighter type to be selected. The statement by the ministry appears to underline the high cost associated with these.
For Rafale, the Dutch ministry says France (so far the only customer) has a requirement of 294 aircraft, to be delivered by 2019. It points out funding for the Standard F4 upgrade development is not secure, even though
a possible Libyan order for 13-18 Rafales (value: 3.24 billion euros) is being discussed.
"Based on the possible order from Libya, the Rafale's unit price will be between 150-207 million euros, although the configuration and cost specification is unclear," the ministry says.
As for Eurofighter, the Dutch ministry tells its Parliament that at present, the UK requires 232, Germany 180, Italy 121 and Spain 87, while Saudi Arabia will acquire 72 from the UK and Austria has reduced its order from 18 to 15 (Tranche 1) jets.
The ministry underlines the delays in the Eurofighter development program.
The Dutch would want the Tranche 3 version but, says the ministry, "deliveries of Tranche 2 have already been delayed from 2006-2010 to 2008-2015 and it is uncertain if there will indeed be orders for Tranche 3 aircraft."
The ministry says that earlier, Eurofighter had said it would make agreements with the Eurofighter partner nations for Tranche 3 development in 2007, for deliveries in the 2010-2015 timeframe. This has not happened.
The Dutch say that in 1999, Eurofighter was offering the Netherlands a per-aircraft price of
57.4 million euros, but that Saudi Arabia is now having to pay 8.1 billion euros for 72 Tranche 2 aircraft (
112.5 million euros per aircraft) --
roughly equal to what Austria is paying, according to the ministry.
But it is "unknown" what the Austrians and Saudis are getting for this, and an eventual Tranche 3 variant will likely be even more expensive, Dutch MoD sources suggest.
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