Plans to put 100-150 Swedish Gripen fighters and/or 100 French Rafales into service with the Ukrainian Air Force mean not only the insane costs of their purchase. And not even just the astronomical costs of their maintenance, especially when it comes to 250 fighters, which only a small number of countries can afford. But these are far from all the aircraft that need to be purchased in order to have combat fighters, as they will not fly without pilots.
In order to train pilots, training aircraft are needed, as the L-39 aircraft that have been in the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the times of the USSR are already ending their service life. Therefore, in addition to fighters, it is necessary to start pricing jet trainers.
Read more: Zelensky's France Visit Rafale Fighter Deal Expected But Production Queue Stretches 9 Years Ahead
It should be borne in mind that training aircraft are also far from cheap, but such modern aircraft can be used as light combat aircraft. Due to this type of aircraft, the specific need for multifunctional fighters can be reduced.
In particular, Poland plans to solve two tasks at the same time at the expense of the FA-50, of which a total of 48 units have been ordered. The Poles plan to receive a training aircraft that, if necessary, can be used as a conventional "third line" fighter, after the F-35 and F-16. South Korean FA-50 Block 20 with a full-fledged radar as well as air-to-air missiles can indeed be confidently considered as a fighter that will perform air defense tasks as a hunter for long-range drones and cruise missiles.
The cost of aircraft of this type is also not small. Poland paid $ 3 billion for 48 FA-50 aircraft (12 of them in the simple Block 10 version, the rest - Block 20). The cost of a full-fledged FA-50 Block 20, which is localized under the name FA-50PL - $ 63.8 million.
This contract was concluded in the summer of 2022, and since then the prices of weapons have increased significantly. So, for example, today the Philippines' plans to double its FA-50PH fleet are already being built at the rate of $ 72 million per unit.
At the same time, it is difficult to call the FA-50 a perfect option as the US has not yet allowed the integration of AIM-120 missiles into the Korean FA-50. Moreover, the Poles are forced to lease AIM-9L/M for them, because the modern AIM-9X is also not integrated into the FA-50.
Another relevant price is 69.3 million euros for a jet trainer. This is how much Spain will pay for each of the 45 Turkish Hürjets in a general contract for 3.12 million euros. Currently, the exact configuration of the aircraft that will be delivered to the Spanish Air Force is unknown, but the Hürjet is planned to be equipped with the Murad radar by Aselsan.
Finally, we should not forget about the new version of the Czech L-39NG, which was converted into a "Shahed killer". It will also be quite interesting to follow the UK, where BAE Systems has made a bet on the T-7 trainer aircraft by Boeing and Saab and plans to produce it on localization terms. But it is unlikely that the American aircraft will be cheaper than the Korean or Turkish ones, although it will definitely support American weapons.
Thus, the financing plan for strengthening the Ukrainian Air Force should include several billion euros or dollars for training and combat jet aircraft. We should not forget about other types of aircraft on which the combat capability of the Air Force and the Armed Forces as a whole depends, such as, for example, AEW&C Aircraft, tanker aircraft as well as transport aircraft
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Read more: What Rafale Can Do That Gripen Cannot and What the Swedish Fighter Can Do That the French Jet Can Only Dream Of
