So still no data for the JASDF. How does the JASDF make its decision then? Women's intuition?
Or it has to do analysis on other people's combat data and combine that with in-house models and
its own experience from exercises with its current types and intercept attempts.
But I'm merely guessing since you don't have data.
Classy...
And if you don't have more data than I do, how are you making a decision that JSDAF is a poor Air Force ? One man intuition ?
Indeed, your are merely guessing.
Again, Why would I check more data on JSDAF when we clearly don't have the same ways to measure things.
And the Mirage.
But these combat records are mostly A/A. In A/G, F-4 could and did much better than both.
Your spares tend to try up the farther time wise you get away from the hot production line.
And combine that with more retired F-4s available for spares due to the F-4s Navy/USMC buys
and its comparatively short lifespan in the USN and USAF.
Ok. But for the F-104 service, European had their prod line and spares.
Assuming I accept the premise that buyers looking for big twins are entertaining singles...
The F-104 still had a production line and there was considerable overlap between F-4 and F-104 operators.
The Crusader line was done by the mid-60s; rebuilds were all that followed
The Lightening production line was done by 1967.
Mirage 5 was all that was left after the late 60's.
If you wanted a big twin, it was the F-4. Or you tried to get in line for Tornado, the F-111, F-14 or F-15.
We've established that the F-4 was not a good bomber and a good fighter at the same time.
It was certainly a better radar-guided missile bird than anything else.
And as the AIM-9 improved it became much better in shorter range engagements.
No, you alone declare that here. What I say, is that it was in average good in any. Which is a reason it sold so well.
Tornado, the F-111, F-14 or F-15 were either too specialized or too expensive, or both.
And indeed it (F-4) was all that's left if one wanted a big twin with enough range to bomb farther and be able to fight correctly at the same time.
And improvement in missiles/avionics made that better over time, just like for the others.
I see countries too poor or not allowed at that time to buy the F-15. Or the F-14. Or the F-111.
The F-4E does not appear to be much more expensive than contemporary Mirages.
For the US cost structure, the F-4's flyway cost was, in 1971, $2.5 million vs. $2.6 million for the A-7D.
Late model F-104 flyaway seems to be in the $1.5 million+ range. So it's not like it's a 2X difference.
Iran being a fabulously rich country by the standards of the day was offered anything
non-nuclear in the US arsenal by Kissinger. So US export policy can also be a bit schizophrenic.
The way you judge again what is poor is the way a contemptuous multibillionaire would, with the US defense spending yardstick.
And a multibillionaire is not the average, it's off the charts, an anomaly.
Too poor to buy F-15 ? But that very JSDAF had F-15s flying alongside F-4s for quite some time.
By that statement, the RAF that neither had F-15/14/111s was a poor Air Force then ?
Even if the F-4 wasn't much more expensive than a Mirage, which I strongly doubt, it makes it even more obvious that at the time if one had the choice between the Mirage and the F-4 at about the same price, needing a Fighter-Bomber with longer range carrying and fighting capacity, one would go for the F-4. And the ones being able did.
Mirage was a good A/A plane, but was a comparatively light plane, in A/G it was an attack plane, not a longer range bomber like F-4 could do while still being able to fight correctly.
The F-15 is interesting cause it is in effect what a perfect and much better F-4 should be. Way better than the F-4 for any missions, except in A/G at the beginning , cause early versions were mostly A/A. But still the F-15 versions are more specialized.
This the thing, with all her flaws, the F-4 established a standard of what a correct ranged, correct carrying, and correct fighting abilities supersonic fighter-bomber of the future should pass. Not in USAF term, cause USAF could have the luxury to have specialized fleet , but in the average Air Force term who sees advantages in having a plane that give better capacity in longer range bombing and fighting than a single engined jet at the same time.