are you sure EMPAR and ARABEL are cheaper than APAR ? to me
APAR and EMPAR looked similar.

from paris2001 awgnet report:

EADS Military Aircraft is working on designs for a stealthy UCAV that would be 39 feet long with a 29.5-foot wingspan-somewhat longer and heavier than Boeing’s X-45A UCAV. The vehicle would be capable of carrying internal weapons, and have an empty weight of about 9,900 pounds and takeoff weight of about 18,000 pounds. The UCAV could be built under the European Technology Acquisition program, which may be signed by European nations by the end of the year.

Working independently of EADS, as always, is Dassault Aviation, which has conducted flight tests of a scale model UCAV being designed under the AVE program (Aeronef de Validation Experimentale). Besides a UCAV, the AVE program plans for a tactical UAV, a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV, and high-altitude, long-endurance UAV.

Nicknamed “Petit Duc,” the small demonstrator has a blended wing design with twin vertical stabilizers and an internal weapons bay. The all-composite aircraft measures 2.4 meters in both length and wingspan. It first flew about 11 months ago, and is being used to validate computer modeling and stealth technology for what a Dassault spokesman called the “Grand Duc.”

A model of Petit Duc is on display at the Dassault Aviation stand at Le Bourget.

it is an unexplained chapter
– who ordered cancellation of the project.
– why did he do so
– what stage of completion the project was at.
– what type of radar and consoles they had in there.

it deserves an answer because was a very short sighted decision, one of many that win or lose big things.

fortunately someone has got their head out of their arse and
atleast asked for approval to restart.

what is the per employee productivity in civilian a.c divisions between these two ?

what is the per employee revenue ?

that would reveal somethings. if the 7E7 is the best boeing can
come up with + its more of the same little tweaks to the existing
product line my money is on Airbus.

I dont see the *burning desire* in boeing to be #1 in the civilian
market. they seem happy enuf to live on defence deal handouts,
perhaps the contracts are easier to win and profits higher there?

in future I see only usa and japan going for boeing. the rest
will embrace new tech and go with airbus.

what extent of design capability exists in IAPO/KNAAPO ? Doesnt
Sukhoi hold some kinda patent over the SU27/SU30 tech to prevent the “factories” from using these as the base for their own ends.

seems to me the situation is out of control if the “factories” are making their own versions of the basic gear and marketing it independently.

for eg can KNAAPO independently without sukhois involvement
design something like PAK_FA ?

what is the white bomb with red nosecone?

sounds quite like the description of J-10 , PLANs carrier ambitions and PLAFs indigenous awacs efforts (about 5 are supposed to be going on).

tough? live with it.