Lessons learned from supplier switching on fast jet fleets
Indonesia has long managed the Sukhoi Su-30 in its air force. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Arya dhieva1)
How difficult is it for air forces to change aircraft fleets, moving from one defence hemisphere to another?
Changing an air force’s primary supplier of combat aircraft is not something to be done lightly. Beyond the obvious hardware and integration aspects it requires a focus on training and doctrine.
As F-35 exports have shown, procurement of military equipment is largely decided by politics over a weapon’s utility or its required capability or the weapon’s utility. Ships, tanks and combat aircraft are big-ticket items, infrequently sought, and represent a clear statement as to the customer’s defence and diplomatic ties.
Yet, by the same token, a change in government, or circumstance, and the resultant new geopolitical outlook can have an
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