Thread 64115195

>Europe is jumping straight from 4th generation fighters to 6th generation fighters
What makes European weapons development so much faster and more efficient than America's?

anything for a (You), huh

>>64115195 (OP)
The Rafale, is fully the equal of the F-35, Su-57 and J-20 as a fifth generation fighter. Like the KF-21, it is a 4.5 gen with development potential to be further upgraded to fifth gen. That is why many countries, such as India, Indonesia, Qatar and the UAE which have requested F-35s or were looking at other fifth gen options like the Su-75 and KF-21, are now Rafale users.

The Eurofag Typhoon meanwhile remains a 4-4.5 generation aircraft with no further development potential, and the countries who are using it primarily (UK, Italy, Spain etc) are all F-35 users and have no incentive to develop it further.

If the Rafale was made by a non-NATO country, they would call it 5th gen.

>>64115223
>If the Rafale was made by a non-NATO country, they would call it 5th gen.
Not without stealth it isn't.

>>64115195 (OP)
Making this thread ain't going uncrash your ships.

>>64115223
The Rafale and Typhoon are both great 4.5s but without a clean sheet stealth design they can't be 5th gen.

>>64115240
Same for KF-21

>>64115250
It was designed as stealth but external stores ruin it, the KF-21EX with internal bays is a fully fledged 5th gen.

>>64115223
J-20 is a 4.5 gen. Their new aircraft might be F-35 competitors or better but they're a long way from production.

>>64115195 (OP)
I mean, once you get the French and Germans to work together, things just kinda functions, you know?

first of all through Franco-German cooperation anything's possible
secondly, it's only a gen and half.

>>64115423
there's a strong case to be made that it's only a gen and a quarter to a third

>>64115254
F-47bros....

>>64115195 (OP)
Being able to copy America's homework

>>64115223
Gookshill, you're too blatant.

No point in buying or building shitloads of 5th gen. Russia can't even deal with our 4.5 gen. So going for 6th gen is better. We do have a decent amount of F35 to fill the gap though

>>64115195 (OP)
Euros are excellent at producing glossy prospectuses and flashy videos.

>>64115195 (OP)
because they BUY 5th gen from america, it's not really complicated.

>>64115223
>The Rafale, is fully the equal of the F3- ACK!
You will never be a 5th gen fighter without stealth.

>>64115195 (OP)
>straight jumping
Not really.
UK (BAE) has a massive part in manufacturing F-35's, same with Italy. Japan developed its own 5th gen test aircraft (X-2 ShinShin).
For their specific needs it was easier to develop the expertise through partnering with America.

This is why GCAP > FCAS

>>64115940
Japan also does F135 engine work. IHI produces Stage 1 Integrally Bladed Rotors for the F135 and has an F135 regional maintenance facility.