Posted on 07/07/2023 4:41:06 AM PDT by Fish Speaker
WARTON, United Kingdom — BAE Systems executives this week expressed confidence that the Global Combat Air Platform (GCAP), currently in development with Italy and Japan, will achieve its projected in-service date of 2035, with a “manned, supersonic and low observable jet” demonstrator taking flight within the next five years.
And more than that, the company leaders believe they can find an export market of “several hundred” jets globally.
Meeting with the media at BAE Systems’ assembly plant in Warton, Lancashire, Herman Claesen, BAE Systems’ Future Combat Air System Managing Director, called the international export of GCAP a “key feature” in the wider FCAS effort. (GCAP is nestled under the UK’s FCAS program.)
“This is a requirement endorsed by the [UK] Prime Minister [in a joint leader statement] in December 2022 for multiple reasons. If you look at Typhoon, you forge and encourage and strengthen international relationships through these programs,” he stated. “If we deliver solutions in 2035, we’ll be the first mover and one of the first western nations outside the US to deliver sixth-generation [aircraft].
(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...
If I know the Brits, it will be very cool looking, but the Lucas electrical system will keep in on the ground forever.
ALL news, (it now seems to me) is purity bullshit.
The next step will be lasers from satellites. And some of these have already been spotted connected to NASA (green). There’s always a one up until it breaks even and nothing is left. It’s just people.
wy69
2035? Is that a typo? Anything projected twelve years out will undoubtedly be obsolete by the time time it's fielded.
....had a British MGB sports car for several years...yeah,
“Lucas, the Prince of Darkness”....had electrical, wiring, connector corrosion issues with it almost from day one....
That looks like an F22 with the inlets of an F35, or like CGI from a TV show from the 90s.
I recently read somewhere (I can’t find the article now) that the USN has decided to quit building the F/A-18 and invest in this new GCAP platform. The F-35C will carry the Navy thru for the next decade or so, at least.
For those that may not know, BAE was also deeply involved in the development of the F-35 series, so I would expect that our aerospace industries will be involve in this one, too.
I have always considered cost and number of engines onboard to be significant differences in the F-22 and F-35. Not sure those two things can be measured other than in sheer numbers of aircraft which to me matters more than fewer numbers but very high cost.
Yep. No expert by any means but; Apparently the shape of these things is pretty much based on prevailing stealth tech science. You can't fiddle with it much no matter who builds it. I guess the electronics & engine packages are what makes the real difference country to country.
ping
My guess is that engines will be standardized across all models (if this ever flys).
Avionics (electronics) will be determined by what technology is exportable and how much the customer can afford.
IMHO, the biggie is cost.
My guess is they are trying to develop a "low cost," exportable fighter that is comparable to the F-35.
My prediction is: it will never fly.
It is a "jobs program" to keep the "Aerospace Engineer" pipeline going in Europe and Japan.
Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. Their switches have 3 positions: on, off and intermittent.
“Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. Their switches have 3 positions: on, off and intermittent.”
Perfect description! Waaaay back in my youth I had a 1959 MGA Fixed-head (coupe). It would always start but I always tried to be home before dark because it was a 50/50 crapshoot that I could get the headlights to come on.... I LOVED that car!
Thanks. All that sounds like the reasonable take on it.
Back in college, I had a bugeye Sprite. Got about 2 or 3 quarts of oil per mile if memory serves. Every trip was a roll of the dice.
the 105...
Or maybe a video game frome the 80's
Or maybe a video game frome the 80's
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