[RayChuang88]

In short, Northrup's F-20 Tigershark program was the right idea, but being designed around an old airframe design, nobody wanted to buy the plane. The Saab JAS 39 Grippen uses the same GE F404 engine as the F-20, but designed around a very modern airframe.

[Gen.Blather]

One of the cost drivers for many military systems is they are built in such small quantities that each is hand assembled. If somebody invested in a higher volume more automated line for the frame and its subassemblies the price would drop considerably. This isn’t done here because you may have a five year 60 aircraft order but Congress authorizes the funds one year at a time. Nobody will invest in automated lines or expensive time saving equipment if they can’t amortize the cost. So, hand assembly.

If the price dropped to say, half what a comparable, even a more sophisticated fighter cost, then they’d probably sell all they could make.