So my question is, can you save it from cancellation? Or, could you possibly get it revived today through some POD?
Maybe....
1989 Northrop Grumman, though sore from the Tiger Shark fiasco still sees a huge market in the developing world for capable, yet cost effective aircraft
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1990 U.S. govt wants to stabilize soon to be former Warsaw Pact nations economically. Poland is top priority due to historic ties. U.S. government encourages (pays) Northrop to look into the plane.
1991 Northrop likes what they see. U.S. avionics, pods etc are added to the package. Poland inducts three squadrons (cost subsidized by U.S. govt. as a means to sell U.S. avionics and inject cash into Poland). Export sales are pursued.
1994 First export India's earlier generation Soviet planes need replacing, Polish plane has parts commonality and western avionics. Plane is also very capable makes a good support partner for Mirage 2000s, Sukhois etc.
1994-2002 a niche market and no competition. Russian availablity, quality control is questionable, current Chinese alternatives fall short and western options are priced out.
-Sri Lanka buys to to tame Tamil Tigers.
- Peru has insurgents, territorial disputes, and the need for cost effective deterance. They snap up a squadron
-Thais buy. Thais need replacements are used to western avionics. They cant afford new western planes and are tired of second hand ones.
2002 Year of disappointments
- Chile and Malaysia get snobby and decline the plane if favor of full western / Russian alternatives
-India declines another order in favor of indigenous alternatives and high end Russian Sukhois (Russia is recovering as a source)
2003 Another year, another sale
-Bangladesh finds Russian alternatives too expensive and Chinese alternatives to be lacking. Another squadron is sold
