What comparable alternative is available today? None of the European companies has a production 5th generation aircraft nor the integrated sensing capabilities. This is what is driving the incredible demand despite misgivings. You can't survive in a near peer combat environment without it.

Countries are buying it because it is the only game in town for certain high-value capabilities, not because they necessarily like the implications of there being a single seller of those capabilities. For better or worse, the US has been flying these for 30 years and has 6th generation aircraft in production. Everyone else is still figuring out their first 5th generation offering.

Closing that gap is a tall order. Either way, European countries need these modern capabilities to have a capable deterrent.