"Charles Talleyrand" wrote in
:
"Bjørnar Bolsøy" wrote in message
...
On the other hand it shows that it is possible to produce
an advanced and effective weapons system at a manageble
cost. In the words of Colonel Per-Olof Eldh:

http://www.gripen.com/gripen_news/gr...ws_2001_01.pdf

"Compared to other fighter aircraft
currently in service, Gripen is a totally
superior product," he boasts. "It is a
perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication,
and by far the best handling aircraft
I have ever flown."

"While its flyaway price is comparable to that of a
new F-16 C/D, Gripen's operating cost of less than
US$2,500 / flying hour (including fuel and all levels
of maintenance) is unrivalled.


Regards...

That cost is either amazing or unbelievable. Larger business
jets can reasonably cost more than that per hour, even on an
operating cost basis. It's hard to believe that a Gulfstream
costs more per hour than a Gripen.

I dunno. This exceeds my area of expertise. Maybe the weapon's
radar never needs expensive parts.

Flug Revue 12/2002 had some additional information:

"The small, single-engined jet with delta wings and canards
excels above all else in its easy handling, high reliability
(7.5 flying hours between failures), low maintenance
requirements (less than 10 man-hours per flying hour) and
low operating costs ($2,500 per flying hour)."


Regards...