The F-22 by law is prohibited from ever being exported. In the authorizing budget language was inserted that prohibited the jet from being exported. And changes to the technology would be cost prohibitive. . .over a Billion dollars.
That’s fine and dandy until someone like another Clinton comes along and transfers authority over the technology to commerce instead of defense (like they did with satellite technology, allowing China to land a nuke anywhere on the planet).
Just said that ...
Yeah, the only serious attempt to export the F-22 was to Japan. I don’t think that even got to the software cost stage: we just flat out said “no.”
Regarding the Swedish Gripen deal mentioned, the Swedes didn’t “sucumb” to US pressure. We just refused to grant export for the GE F404 powerplants.