4 years in, is there any info relating to the likely size and performance of any resulting airframe? Japan and UK need a design with long range. What sort of top speed: mach 2 / less than mach 2? Will the engine be an adaptive one to achieve a very good range? What level of electrical power will the...

I understand that Spain will need F-35B for its carrier. I wonder if the forthcoming Typhoon order means that Spain will not be ordering any F-35A as Hornets are retired at the end of the decade but rather replace them with Typhoon. I presume that outcome would make FCAS partner Germany happier.

Of course, what should be happening is a cross party concesus on GCAP. It's incredibly important for so many excellent reasons. By the time the next government is finding its feet, the GCAP contract will be negotiated, fixed and with all parties going into signing imminent. Unless they go full TSR2...

GCAP spending will be very heavily weighted into the first 8 years, it can't be drip fed, each country will have to sign a cast iron unbreakable contract, to ensure none are in a position to fatally cripple the programme, when it's started. I expect a guaranteed airframe buy and investment allocati...

I think of we can bring in Saudi Arabia and they inject another 5 billion, we will have enough to launch. I think 40 billion is a realistic programme cost 15 billion each Japan and the UK 5 billion each Italy and Saudi Arabia. The UK is going to have to dig very deep to find 15 billion, no doubt ab...

Unfortunately for OEM's hoping to win the Indian competition for 114 medium weight fighters, the Indian Chief of Air Staff has announced that the IAF intends ordering 100 more Tejas Mk1A light fighters. IMO it is likely that MRFA will be scrapped and 2-4 more squadrons of Rafale be ordered in its st...

Zavve on french forums they constantly write(fantasy?) that Sweden is on the SCAF on their side. Any source for this? P.s. for the rest the Germans with Airbus are connecting with the Koreans https://air-cosmos.com/article/defense-airbus-et-la-coree-du-sud-veulent-accelerer-sur-l-avion-de-combat-de...

The Germans are absolute sticklers for the rules - when it suits them. Sounds like the French. My local cafe/bar reacted to the rule that there must be a smoker's area by designating the last bar stool along the bar as the smoking area. German kit does actually turn up in some pretty dodgy places. ...

You think the germans would miss a single opportunity to dish out snooty nosed sermons? Never ever. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/security-forces-human-rights-record-raises-barrier-before-germanys-arms-exports-to-india/cid/1807272 Its one thing to churn churn out pseudo-moralistic propaganda...

In terms of the killer deal - if there were a time for Sunak to play a blinder this is it, I think so. I read today in Indian online media that the requirement for MRFA candidates is being reviewed and refined. I expect that means yet more delay, improving chances for OEM's to approach the governme...

Personal .02 EUR worth, based on pure speculation : - I don't think Rafale will ever be built in India. Dassault don't really have a history of supporting overseas production, unless you count the Mirage 3 drawings "accidentally" given to Israel. The language barrier alone would be a nigh...

Adding another aircraft just does not make much sense. Even in the recently conculded naval competition both the F18 and the Rafale met the minimum requirements. However the Rafale was explicitly chosen because being able to share logistics with the airforce was seen as such a big advantage. This i...

The Indians operate a widely diverse fighter fleet to carry out the same job, it's crazy and it must cost a fortune to support so many types doing exactly the same job.... So why add Typhoon, it's just another one added to the huge pile! As previously stated, India would be better off buying 300 ( ...

I think India will likely go for a second batch of Rafael, it makes the most sense. That said, there is no sense whatsoever in Indian procurement, they will ( and do) order batches of competing designs to the same job. It's an insane way of spending your defence buck.... If the MRFA competition for...

zavve wrote: ↑31 Aug 2023, 18:21

dmereifield wrote: ↑31 Aug 2023, 16:06 Is the Tejas Mk1A any good?

Not really. Tejas is basically a Gripen, but worse in every way.

Tejas Mk1A AESA radar is inferior to Gripen C radar? Gripen E is in a much higher price bracket.

Just my own humble opinion but I don't think I india would every buy from the UK a major jet fighter,they have a historical dislike of the UK brand in my own opinion,think that's why maybe Germany was leading the negotiations for India ,think India will go with Rafael again,think France got that on...

You're just being nieve Spitfire, I've pointed out we always have sold arms to Saudi Arabia and it's raised billions for the economy. They have always had a rather dark past and will continue too .. The fact you rather amusingly mention Russia, North Korea and Iran show you're on ropes without a pr...

We backed Stalin to the hilt and looking the other way in WW2, when we knew very well that he was murdering people by the hundreds of thousands (turns out he probably killed more people than Hitler), because my enemies enemy is my friend. The Saudis rocket attacked and bombed the Yemen with their L...

Germany refused to supply Saudi Arabia with Typhoon because it was killing a large number of civilians in Yemen by bombing them, didn't it? I don't think that Saudis murdering and chopping up a journalist for being critical of the Saudi regime was much of an incentive for Germany to release the bra...

You can guarantee the French have watched while German interference ruined the possibility of selling another significant batch of Typhoon to Saudi Arabia. Germany refused to supply Saudi Arabia with Typhoon because it was killing a large number of civilians in Yemen by bombing them, didn't it? I d...

I wonder which other countries might be SERIOUSLY interested in obtaining the fighter in future if it goes a 4 way split and gets going and financed? Would the inclusion of Saudi Arabia make it easier to sell to Gulf states? With US declining to supply F-35 (IIRC) their only source of western post-...

We have to keep everything crossed, Tempest isn't bloody sacrificed like TSR2 was in 1965. Interesting parallels between the two programmes, including the financial situation, an American alternative, a change of government etc🤞 But TSR2 had a defined design, prototypes built (one being flight test...

Would a GCAP without the UK nowhow & less funding be what the UK needs ? would the timeframe match our Typhoon replacement with less funding ? Would that also mean our aircraft industry goes the way of Westland etc is that what is best for our long-term interests There is a demand for more serv...

As previously discussed, I expect the development bill to be between 40 and 50 billion, with the funding curve heavily weighted into the first 8 years, due to the projected speed of development to fielding. Is it possible, yes, but its certainly not guaranteed. We won't have to wait too long to fin...