Cost Comparison with Rafale and Eurofighter
¶ 12. Cost Comparison with Rafale and Eurofighter
¶ Operating Costs per Flight Hour
Note on operating cost figures: Operating costs are based on third-party data. Since neither the calculation methodology, the exact time of data collection, nor the full scope of costs are known, the informative value is limited accordingly.
Note on cost basis: All USD amounts from US government sources (GAO, CBO, DoD) in this article are expressed in Base Year 2012 Dollars (BY2012$). Adjusted for inflation to 2026, actual values are approximately 40–50% higher.
| Type | Cost per Flight Hour (Operating Costs) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| F-35A | USD 34’000–36’000 | GAO 2024 [3] |
| Rafale | EUR 14’000–20’000 | French Air Force [65] |
| Eurofighter | EUR ~36’000 (excluding procurement allocation) | UniBw Munich 2013 [66] |
The Rafale has the lowest operating costs among western fighter jets of this class. The Eurofighter stood at approximately EUR 36’000 per flight hour in 2013 (pure operating costs excluding procurement allocation). The often-cited figures of EUR 60’000–74’000 include proportional development and procurement costs, which distort the actual operating expense [66].
¶ Air2030 Evaluation (2021)
The Swiss evaluation showed a cost advantage for the F-35A over 30 years of USD 2.16 billion (BY2012$) compared to the Eurofighter, Rafale, and F/A-18E/F [67]. This advantage was based on estimates at the time. The since then 44% increased sustainment costs [3] and the fleet reduction to 28–30 units [2] alter this calculation.
¶ Source Code Access: No Provider Grants Full Access
Neither the F-35 (ITAR restrictions) nor the Rafale (France denies source code access, e.g. to India [68]) offer full technological sovereignty. Only Sweden has granted source code access in Gripen exports [68].
→ See also: Procurement Costs and Cost Overruns
¶ References
[2] Swiss Confederation. (2021, June 30). Type Decision msg-id-84275
[3] Swiss Parliament. (2022). 22.005 | Armed Forces Dispatch 2022. Business No. 22.005
[65] FlyAJetFighter.com. The Real Cost Per Hour of a Combat-Ready Rafale
[66] University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Chair of Military Economics. (2013). Military Economics and Economic Efficiency Principle
[67] Heritage Foundation. The Swiss Picked the F-35 on Price
[68] Times of Islamabad (January 2026). France Refuses Source Code Access to India in Massive 114 Rafale Jets Deal