Aviation News – Germany and France have agreed to abandon a flagship project to develop a next-generation European fighter jet after failing to overcome longstanding industrial disputes between the companies involved. The decision marks a significant setback for one of Europe’s most ambitious defence initiatives and raises new questions about future military cooperation on the continent.
This was such a kindergarten… finally
Use the money for something actually useful
Not all of the investment is necessarily lost of this 100B project (# supposedely so far 3.2 B was spend in development). There is speculation that the project could be restructured into two separate fighter jet programs, with France and Germany pursuing their own solutions. In this scenario, some of the joint research, technology, and industrial capacity developed so far could be divided or reused.
Also this project, while very important is one the many Franco-German projects.#add
Oh, and once they start to develop their own jets each, France will suddenly realize that they want all the capabilities and options they vehemently denied when Germany mentioned them. We have seen this happen so often now, it isn’t even funny anymore.
My personal highlight still is the APACHE desaster that brought us two conceptionally identical cruise missiles produced by two different subsidiaries of the same company, just because German ideas about the warhead’s capabilities were totally insane… until about 1min after they walked away from the project and France decided to actually want that sophisticated bunker-busting warhead now that there are no stupid Germans with the same idea anymore.
We have seen this happen so often now, it isn’t even funny anymore.
Yips, something like that. I tried to keep up with the whole debacle. Things that didn’t help was that it seems that they postponed the technical goals after the political intent was decided. So this divergence would later clash in the operational details and goals, another alleged issue was not sharing details (secrecy) , and lastly the clashing ego’s of CEOs.
Having two separate programs is pretty bad still. It reinforces the existing lack of interoperability across EU systems. Makes both more expensive too. If that’s an economic stimulus exercise, there are more efficient ways to do that than military spending.
The US currently has four different fighter jets or similar in service and China has nine looking at Wikipedia. So no not really a problem, if they are different enough planes, as designed for different tasks. It currently looks like they will be with France building a small, light carrier capable jet and Germany a larger, long range, heavy, fast ground based one.
Considering that the French wanted a plane that could deliver nukes from an aircraft carrier and the Germans wanted a fast fighter jet, just making them two separate planes that merely rely on the same interfaces where appropriate might not be such a bad idea.
Can’t fly. It’s bolted to concrete!
How sure are we that manned jets will even matter in 10/20 years?
They won’t be, arial drones will cost a fraction of what one of these fighters costs and will be able to outperform and outmaneuver them.
They outperform in certain cases, but not all.
For example; Modern jets are flying sensor suites, that gives them abilities a drone does not have.
Similarly, tanks have become less important, but not irrelevant.
https://www.twz.com/air/x-bat-autonomous-vtol-fighter-looks-dramatically-different
This new round of AI drones already outperform traditional jets. There will eventually be super sonic ones that can match performance in every way.
Plus they won’t be able to refuse orders to fire on civilians
So far I don’t see pilots refusing too.
Generally true, and yet:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/our-pilots-refused-to-bomb-40-times-20040314-gdijb4.html
Also, not a pilot, but an easy demonstration of the possibility:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov
There’s plenty of examples, even if they’re just a drop in the bucket of bootlicking.
Your argument just proves my point. If it were common you wouldn’t have to dig for a few examples.
I was in the army, not the US but still, for 4 years and even though you can legally refuse certain orders the whole machinery is designed to make you stupid and accept authority without question.
Forget it. Drones dont have the mass to reach such speeds.
