“The Federal Council is set to propose that parliament approve the procurement of 36 F-35A fighter aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin and five Patriot fire units from US manufacturer Raytheon,” the council said.

Turning tale and running is not an attractive option against the much faster Typhoon.Paris – Switzerland has picked the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet and Raytheon Patriot surface-to-air missiles, as these offered highest benefits at lowest cost, the Swiss government said in a June 30 statement.The Typhoons, with a higher speed, altitude, and impressive jamming capabilities will NOT be an easy target.With only 2-4 missile internally, there isn't much room for error. The F-35 better hope to have first look.The outcome is predictable, (it should be noted that Palmer is no fan of the JSF) but based on sound reasoning. Don't get me wrong, strike is a very important role, and the F-35 may indeed be the best aircraft ever for that role, but when it comes to air-superiority duties, like interception and combat air patrol (CAP), the Lightning II may be somewhat out of its element.Įric Palmer of the Eric Palmer blog puts together a hypothetical scenario of 2 Typhoons engaging 2 F-35s.

Typhoon = Air superiority.ĭespite all the claims of the JSF's advantages due to stealth, situational awareness, etc at the end of the day, it is still a ground pounder. “The JSF does not have a high-end air-to-air capability,” he told the conference. The F-35, designed from the offset to provide an impressive strike role, has the opposite problem, according to Italian Colonel Vito Cracas: The Typhoon's ground attack capability (or lack thereof) is often considered its greatest liability.

Why are Britain and Italy adamant on flying a mixed force? Because the two aircraft complement each other. It should be noted that the Tornado was once considered for Canada's New Fighter Aircraft Program (which resulted in the CF-18), but one of the strikes against it was it was its emphasis on ground attack over air-superiorty. In both Britain and Italy's case, the F-35 is seen more as an heir apparent to the Panavia Tornado. Britain and Italy will combine the F-35 with the Eurofighter Typhoon. The USN and the RAAF will fly the F-35 alongside the F-18E/F Super Hornet. For example, the USAF will combine the JSF with the F-22 Raptor. Many services intending to utilize the F-35 Lightning II will do so as part of a mixed fleet.

Eurofighter vs f 35