Rule of cool
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Starting in 1962 with the Concorde the UK entered into a number of joint aircraft development projects with France; Supersonic Trainer and AFVG in 1965 and the joint helicopter agreement in 1967. Of these the advanced trainer morphing into the Jaguar and the helicopter deal Puma, Lynx and Gazelle were successful and while the Concorde's fate was unfortunate the aircraft did go into production and successful service.
Only the AFVG failed; cancelled by France in 1967 and kept on life support as UKVG until it was merged into the MRCA project. There are numerous other options to meet this requirement.
What if instead of attempting to meet its tactical aircraft requirement with France the UK decided instead to meet its tactical transport aircraft in a joint project and joined the Franco-German Transall project that produced the C160? This would replace the RAFs 66 plane C130E buy in the mid 60s, and if a 1 to 1 buy was undertaken it would make Britain a bigger buyer of the C160 than France.
I imagine this would have to occur sometime between the Concorde and Trainer/AFVG agreements in 1962-65. I'm thinking something along the lines of the Anglo-French helicopter agreement where the British bought the mostly French Puma and Gazelle and the French bought the mostly British Lynx, rather than a purely joint development project like SEPECAT with the Jaguar. The C160 used Rolls Royce Tyne engines, so that could be the bulk of Britain's industrial participation due it's it's late joining of the project.
Could the British do a quid pro quo with the French and Germans, with them buying something British like the Belfast?
Only the AFVG failed; cancelled by France in 1967 and kept on life support as UKVG until it was merged into the MRCA project. There are numerous other options to meet this requirement.
What if instead of attempting to meet its tactical aircraft requirement with France the UK decided instead to meet its tactical transport aircraft in a joint project and joined the Franco-German Transall project that produced the C160? This would replace the RAFs 66 plane C130E buy in the mid 60s, and if a 1 to 1 buy was undertaken it would make Britain a bigger buyer of the C160 than France.
I imagine this would have to occur sometime between the Concorde and Trainer/AFVG agreements in 1962-65. I'm thinking something along the lines of the Anglo-French helicopter agreement where the British bought the mostly French Puma and Gazelle and the French bought the mostly British Lynx, rather than a purely joint development project like SEPECAT with the Jaguar. The C160 used Rolls Royce Tyne engines, so that could be the bulk of Britain's industrial participation due it's it's late joining of the project.
Could the British do a quid pro quo with the French and Germans, with them buying something British like the Belfast?
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