Opinion: Who becomes the world’s supplier of affordable fighters now?
Over the past few decades, Asian nations that were either friendly to or aligned with the US were some of the biggest customers for lightweight and inexpensive US-made fighter aircraft. The question is – as we approach the third decade of the 21st century – to which supplier will these Asian nations turn as they contemplate replacing those fighters acquired in the 1980s with something state of the art. For most nations in the region it is a tall order.
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
Taiwan approved for purchase of $11 billion in weapons from US
The US State Department’s approval of a multi-billion-dollar sale of weapons to Taiwan includes tactical mission networks equipment, uncrewed aerial systems, artillery rocket systems and self-propelled howitzers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.
-
Ireland spells out $2.3 billion shopping list in five-year defence spending plan
Ireland’s multi-annual investment in capital defence spending is set to rise from €300m in 2026 to €360m in 2029–2030 with major upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
-
US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry
The 2025 NSS has emphasised investment in the US nuclear and air defence inventory and national industry, but it leaves multiple unanswered questions on how the White House will implement this approach.
-
Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
-
NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems
During the latest edition of the NATO DiBaX, the alliance tested multiple capabilities to inform requirements for future efforts.