I'm surprised they don't go for updated F-16s now, but instead for a new design. Which again will have the chance of running over budget, having teething issues, etc etc. With the F-16 these things are already long figured out. They were even built here in Europe for a while. I know it doesn't have stealth but it has proven itself in asymmetric warfare.
I wonder what the EU partners will do now. The Netherlands wanted the F-35 as the successor to the F-16 which it never became. They had to scale down orders as the price went up. I bet they will need a new plane too to fulfill the F-16 role. They can't cancel the F-35 purchases though as it was an intricate patchwork of local supply deals in return for orders.
Switching to drones makes sense to me, it seems to give a lot of bang for the buck. However, the risks and operational requirements are very different than a traditional manned plane so it would require a lot of change everywhere.
I wonder what the EU partners will do now. The Netherlands wanted the F-35 as the successor to the F-16 which it never became. They had to scale down orders as the price went up. I bet they will need a new plane too to fulfill the F-16 role. They can't cancel the F-35 purchases though as it was an intricate patchwork of local supply deals in return for orders.