Cost of aircraft:
Have fighters gotten more expensive?

In absolute numbers, yes, one has to pay more for a combat aircraft today than 50 years ago, but there has been some inflation in the meantime. Today's fighters are also more capable than then.

Some data points:

• During the early 1940's a Saab B 17 cost SEK 350.000 - 400.000:- to purchase for the Swedish air force.
• In all, the Fiat CR.42bis Falcos cost SEK 500.000 per aircraft, of which SEK 300.000 was for the aircraft themselves, the rest was for support equipment.
• The FFVS J 22 cost SEK 300.000, of which half was the basic airframe, the rest equipment like engine and radio.
• In 1951 a Saab J 29 Tunnan cost SEK 900.000:-.
• A Hawker Hunter cost 2.400.000:- in 1955.
• In the early 1970's the replacement cost of a Saab AJ 37 Viggen was quoted at around 20.000.000:-.

However, the Swedish air force has not been in the habit of purchasing its aircraft as "units", but by the squadron. A squadron needs "extra" aircraft, because some will be undergoing maintenance and attrition during their operational lifetime and a hypothetical conflict will reduce their numbers.

When the B 17 was new, a bomber squadron consisted of three groups of three aircraft. To fill the strength of a wing of three squadrons, a total of 88 aircraft was needed. And they only had a planned operational life of seven years. That's a bit more than 29 aircraft/squadron.

Nowadays, a squadron is nominally eight aircraft, and to fill five and half AJ 37 Viggen squadrons, 108 aircraft were purchased, which is about 19 and a half aircraft/squadron. Their useful life was estimated at around 25 years, but they've held up well and it will be a bit more.

Tunnan and Hunter were in service for about eleven years each.

For what was to have been twelve JAS 39 Gripen squadrons, 204 aircraft were ordered. That comes out at 17 aircraft/squadron and they're expected to remain in service for 30 years.

After reductions it was decided to put eight Gripen squadrons in service. Initially they were supposed to have more aircraft per squadron to allow them to serve longer than 30 years, but it was finally decided to keep just 160 in service and make the rest available for export, which results in 20 per squadron.

I don't know of a good metric to compare 1940's SEKs with 1990's or 1970's (one could even be bold and set the value of money in how many fighters you get for it), as inflation hasn't increased prices equally for different products and services. But to relate to how expensive a B 17 was one can mention that after 1945 a good but basic Saab or Volvo automobile cost in the region of SEK 5.000:-.

In absolute numbers it's interesting to note that the investment needed for one squadron-year of fighters in the 1970's was less than 10 times that needed in the 1940's, and in the 1990's it's less than 10 times more than in the 1970's. I'm sure the rate of inflation has been more than that in most other areas -- and we also need fewer squadrons now than then, as the aircraft have become more capable.

I don't have the numbers to support my feeling that the other costs associated with operating fighters have followed the same pattern, but my feeling is that they have.