UK-Japan-Italy Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) News & Analysis

[Sintra]

Point taken, I for some reason remembered 2+2. Even better this way, shows the point even better.

There was exactly one matching engine in the western world. Can be called Volvo (certainly not) f-119, doesn't change the point all that much...

Two engines, the F-119 and the F-135 and Volvo did propose a new engine.

 

[Scott Kenny]

They can try...but they'd need to be allowed into each fighter programmes 'eco-system' to integrate it. And if they're not buying any of the main platform, or involved industrially, why on earth would anyone do that and shoot themselves in the foot? (Japan, Italy and UK will have their own CCA programmes and interests, as will Germany and France).

All it has to do is have the correct comms protocols.

Italy has similar as their ability to intervene in an increasingly militarised North Africa is limited at present. The likes of Algeria getting SU-57, which will inevitably lead to other NA nations going for LO aircraft (looking at you Morocco), probably from China, will also affect their thinking.

Oh, hell, I had missed that detail!

So yes Italy needs something to compete.

In terms of engines though the US has gone down that route but its been very much an afterthought for the likes of F-15 and 16, and a necessity for F-14. The UK used to do something similar (in terms of afterthought) in the 1950's but the last time it happened was the Buccaneer which switched from De Havilland to Rolls Royce. That was very much forced though...Reality is these days we have 1 engine manufacturer and are not going to involve any manufacturer from a non-partner nation. It's worked pretty well from Harrier, through Tornado and Typhoon (although using a multi manufacturer approach has caused issues recently with Safran's components in the Adour on Hawk, that arrangement dates back to the 60's though).

Yeah, I guess only the US has 2 separate fighter engine makers left. (In the West!)

Volvo might be able to crank something out comparable to a 3-stream EJ200, but otherwise yall are stuck with EJ. Japan has several companies making turbines under license, but I suspect that their 3-stream data is getting shared with EJ.

Doubtful for the numbers we'll be talking about. IF Australia buys GCAP (and its a very big speculative if) the buy would likely be to replace the existing SuperHornet fleet (and perhaps EA-18G). Which is currently a 24+12 aircraft fleet. The F-35A will be their main fighter through to 2060.

How many F-35s did Germany buy again? 35? but they're still making parts.