RJMAZ wrote:art wrote:What would you like UK (and France) to do?
Work together to build complimentary products not competing products. Splitting up a small market with competing products means everyone loses. Duplication of research and development costs and economy of scales reduces.
Agree entirely.
I think that one of the problems is that the military will not compromise on their requirements. Typhoon/Rafale, for example. Had a single design been produced using the same funds, a better aircraft would have been produced. Had a similar aircraft to both Typhoon/Rafale been designed, cost would have been lower for one aircraft rather than two.
RJMAZ wrote:With any aviation project Europe simply has to add Boeing or Lockheed as a 25% partner and then have a separate US assembly line. The US will then buy the product no problems. Boeing or Lockheed will then provide input to sculpt the product into something the US will buy. Boeing and Lockheed will then campaign for it to be purchased like the F-15X for example.
The USAF has a demand for a Gripen sized fighter. Lots of European countries have demand for such an aircraft as either their primary fighter or a secondary fighter.
Also it can go the other way. The new US helicooter programs Europe could add SAAB, BAE or Dassault as a partner and give them a European assembly line.
Yup. Do this intelligently and the tax payer (he/she who pays for all military equipment) is a winner.