Wouldn’t air refueling be cheaper?...............
Think Strike Eagle. Except those are some ugly blisters, BAE.
TC
“Wouldn’t air refueling be cheaper?...”
Might be cheaper, but certainly not applicable in every circumstance.
Aerial refueling complicates mission planning. And as the article states the conformal tanks “free up” under wing hard-points for carrying weapons stores.
Some countries considering the purchase of the Euro-fighter Typhoon may also have very little air to air refueling ability.