United Europe Air Force

What the title says. Been done before in a different format, but i wanna do it again.

I’ll try to keep the political-social part very short. Basically right now we’re mere vassal of US interests through traitorous and corrupt politicians, and we are increasingly drifting towards a hideously orwellian, US controlled future. Our only hope is to stand TOGETHER and free ourselves from these shackles, becoming truly independent and controlling our own destiny, and able to built a society based on true european values. Backward currents like ultranationalism and xenophobia should have no place and no say in creating a true, United Europe (no, that does mean eliminating countries and identities, but just joining TOGETHER and working TOGETHER to build a better home for all of us).

Onto aircraft now. Right now, even despite the continuous efforts from inside and outside to undermine the european defence industry (see F-35, and other US sourced aquisitions), we still retain formidable capabilities, being able to built almost anything needed for a true, world superpower class air force. While one of the weaknesses of current EUAFs was said to be the numerous types in service throughout, obviously a United Europe Air Force will have to work toward integrating existing types and steadily increasing commonality. Procurement should must be focused on assuring full strategic and political independence, supporting existing local industry and creating local jobs in a realistic and fair manner.

We are building right now anything from primary trainers to the highest technology combat aircraft. We have primary trainers like Grob series, advanced trainers like Pilatus series, jet trainers like Hawk and M-346, transports of all classes, tanker and potential special mission aircraft like Airbus and Alenia series, helicopters of all types and sized from Agusta Westland and Eurocopter, an emerging UCAV capability especially through french and british expertise and lastly, high technology fighters like Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon. These capabilities would allow us to re-equip and replace old aircraft due now or in the near future, increasing integration and decrease operating costs top and bottom.

Our biggest deficiencies now are lack of a heavy 5th gen program, lack of a light 5th gen, and lack of a global LRS-class platform, plus dependency on US AEW designs, PLUS the dependence of UK deterence arsenal on US missiles.

I envision that in the initial and transitional period (say 2015-2025), each UEAF country will contribute to the whole with what is realistically (and economically) feasible, one of the biggest changes being the consolidation of primary and advanced training in 3 or 4 regional centres (i know a few countries are doing it jointly already), thus avoiding the duplication of such efforts in almost every country.

Just for the “glamorous” fast Looking at some numbers, and based on near future aircraft need replacing , and also in keeping with the trend of steadily decreasing numbers, here’s what the UEAF fast jet force might look like juts after 2025:

UK- 180 to 200 Typhoon
France- 200 Rafale
Germany-180-200 Typhoon
Italy- 150 Typhoon
Spain- 80+ Typhoon
Sweden-72 Gripen-NG
Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Netherland and Denmark- each between 36 and 48 Gripen-C/NG
Portugal- 24 Gripen
Romania and Bulgaria- 24 Gripen (maybe more as the economic situation will improves)
Hungary, Serbia and Croatia, Czech republic, Slovakia, Austria?- 12-14 Gripens each

There are a few countries not listed, that right now do not have an airforce anyway and won’t need to (they can contribute in other means), plus for 2 there’s a difficult situation in regards to their present holdings, i.e. Poland and Greece, they are relaying on US types that are mostly newly built, 150+ and 48 F-16Cs respectively. That would come at odds with an independent EUAF. Any idea how it’s best to re-equip them? How about Turkey?

The regional advanced training centers i was mentioning i would have them in UK (Hawk T2) Italy, Spain, France and Sweden with M-346.

Finally, the UE Navy would be built around the CdG and the two QE-class carriers, each flying Rafale-M carrier fighters, totaling 100 initially. The loss of the UK’s Harrier fleet was a huge blow (victim of politics- obviously the Washington and local puppet politicians wanted to remove any obstacles in front of the F-35 “deal”), but perhaps the 3 VTOL carriers (italian and spanish) can still fly Harriers (upgrades with meteors and ASRAAM or Iris-T and european AESA radars) until replaced or rather their roles are changed. I think at least a minimum 3 more 65,000-70,000t or bigger fleet carriers will be necessary by 2030 that will succeed in construction the QEs, maybe nuclear powered. Alternatively, an improved sister ship for CdG can be built in France well before 2025, then alternatively one each CVN can be built in UK (after Prince of Wales) and France afterward. A total of 6 fleet carriers by 2030 will be a formidable naval force, assuring superiority in the Atlantic (the USN will have to face not only us, but also China and Russia’s naval forces, by that time also formidable- likely 4 or 5 chinese carriers and 2-4 russian).

As for the future, the immediate priorities would be the development of a BAe Replica technology-based F-22, PAK-FA, J-20-class heavy multirole twin engine 5+ gen. stealth fighter, and a light single engine type like the FS2020. Both should have the same engine, and one or perhaps both should have a carrier variant, they will be aimed in the long run at replacing Rafale/Typhoon and Gripen respectively. Also the development and the integration of UCAV vehicles into UEAF and Navy should be pursued aggressively. Lastly, a future LRS-B can become reality by 2035, thus finally giving Europe it’s deterrence triad.

Divided we fall. Together we stand. Long live United Europe.