The F-18 has a better radar, and better Roll rate, better LOW speed handling. F-16 is better at EVERYTHING else!! The F/A-18 was designed to be carrier capable, so slow speed high angles of attack and, lower altitudes is the area it should fight its battles. One advantage the F/A-18 has over its opponents is its ability to operate at high AOA. The F-16 has a higher T/W ratio than most other aircraft. High altitudes, higher speeds (towards the 450mph mark) work the vertical since it does it like no other aircraft and use its “sustained” rate of turn. Australia is a huge country, do they want to buy twice the fuel, plus x2 the cost of engines. An F-16 will do all combat missions just as good if not better than an F-18, only with less cost. The F-16 should be a block 60 or better.
I agree. The F-16 is the better plane. Boyd and company did a great job on that bird.
Two engines vs one. Oz is almost as big as the US. I think the F-18 is a better option because of that second engine. You can make it back to base instead of entertaining yourself in a desert waiting for rescue.
The extra range would make it ideal for overwater intercepts seeing as the Aussies don’t own carriers.
The F-22 would be the best option but we don’t want to sell that to our allies. The F-35 may be stealthly, new and all that but the payload is not that great in stealthy mode.
And SAAB Gripen E/F even better and lesser cost that.
And Engine compatibilty with the F-18F/G, so given Australian is committwd to the F-18G Growler, SuperH & Gripen would be the way to go.