"60 million!"
Victor was stunned.
The way those Yanks asked for money, just like the French with their unbreakable spirit, completely shameless.
But the F14 itself wasn't cheap to begin with.
A few decades earlier, back in 1973, the price was 38 million US dollars each, which, if adjusted to the more recent years' value, would be roughly 234 million US dollars per unit, comparable to an F-22!
Moreover, the maintenance costs were sky-high.
Additionally, because it featured variable-sweep wings, its maintenance was much more complex than conventional wing fighters, not to mention the harsh marine environment, so the aircraft required nearly 60 maintenance man-hours per flight hour, which was more than three times that of the F/A-18.
Suddenly, it seemed looks couldn't be used to pay the bills.
