Halloweene, you mentioned some (French) industry sources thinking the British were using FCAS as a ‘make work scheme’. What was the thinking behind that?

From what i heared (understood), they said that SDSR said that FCAS would not be purchased as operational for RAF, because of an eventual redundancy with F-35 program. Uk is of course still partnering in the program, but ppl i heared of said they thought it was more to build technology bricks than looking for an operational drone system. However, they mentioned that FCAS should be seen as a much wider scope than simply a combat drone (including UK F-35 that may use those tech bricks??). Of course, i’m not aware of the Uk industrials opinion on that topic. And FR industrials opinion may change also. I hope so!

Someone from CEP (Centre d’Essai des Propulseurs) that hotparts for the Safran proposed engine for FCAS (basically an improved M-88 without afterburner) would reach 2600 K

Typhoons development failures can be placed squarely at most of the partner nations not pulling their weight when it comes to funding. When it finally receives AESA / Meteor, it will be head and shoulders above Rafale as an A2A platform.

Very informative and substantiated. Thank you.

Ginner it is really simple. For Canada to stay in the JSF partnership they have to order the jet. Canadian companies will not be allowed to bid on contracts if they purchase another aircraft. This short term purchase, lease, acquisition whatever gives them the ability, as with the RAAF, to extend the replacement schedule.

If in 2020 Canada chooses a different fighter to the F-35, Canadian companies will not receive any future work. Given that would exclude them from the manufacture and sustainment of at least an additional 1500 airframes against perhaps 40-60 Gripen, economically it is not the best option for Canadian Industry.

enuine question : a country is legally tied to buy jets to stay in the program?

18 only. Competition will be held later

Yeah, I think it would be cheaper to go with the HMS.

And which senor would you use? HMS is not a sensor in itself. So anyway you will need to upgrade avionics to process MLD data.

Maybe France and Germany will do it after all in 2025-2040, Gripen E is good enough for Sweden (with complement of UCAV) until 2040 or even longer.
The rest will stuck to there 4 gen upgrades, until 2040, maybe a stealth UCAV complement i think.

Having recently talked with industrials, they doubt that UK will purchase final FCAS product (they believe they are involved in mainly to build technology brics). On the other hand, Germany (which is not a F-35 client) seem greedy to step in.

good point. Me and many of the other non-French posters agreed that France could’ve skipped over the Rafale (unlike RAF, Germany, Italy.. the French already made a 4th gen aircraft in the M2K), continue producing the M2K which is far more popular for export, and focus on a light-medium 5th gen follow up.. but of course some guys were like “non non non c’est terrible, we can’t do the 5th gen! 5th gen is useless anyways”

France wouldn’t have liked to use and integrate nuclear weapon on F-18.