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Why Do Fighter Aircraft Cost So Much? -- Robert Farley, The Diplomat
Are there good reasons for fighters being as pricey as they are?
The question has long vexed defense analysts, as the projected costs of fighters seem to expand even faster than those of other military hardware. Some of the reasons include the ever-increasing gulf between civilian and military technology, a gulf that demands extra specialization on the part of engineers, equipment, and workforce. Also, fighters (as opposed to interceptors, bombers, or attack aircraft) are literally designed to fight one another, making escalatory cycles particularly likely. Moreover, since modern fighters are generally expected to fulfill multiple roles (air superiority, plus attack, strategic bombing, and interception) packing mission capabilities into a single airframe naturally metastasizes costs.
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My Comment: You would think that since costs for technology do decrease with time .... this would be translated to significantly lower costs for high technology procurements like fighter jet aircraft .... but apparently this is not the case. I guess having only one choice in purchasing your fighter jet provides no incentive for the main contractor to cut costs.
