Reply to post: Re: "the cost of retrofitting was about the same as building another carrier!!"

UK's first transatlantic F-35 delivery flight delayed by weather

SkippyBing

Re: "the cost of retrofitting was about the same as building another carrier!!"

'F35B doesn't exist until it's finished! '

On that grounds no military aircraft exists until about 5 years before its withdrawn from service as they're continually being modified and updated. F-35B is in front line service with the USMC flying off ships in the Pacific, Naval Gripens aren't.

'Do you think the EFA project would rip up billions of euros worth of development and start afresh just because the French left the project? '

The French left the project because it didn't meet their requirements, if Typhoon was compromised by needing to operate off France's aircraft carriers, there wouldn't be any Rafales. France left the programme that became Eurofighter in 1985 before the consortium had spent more than ~£180 million* because the proposal didn't meet their requirement. Ergo it's not compromised by meeting a French requirement as it never did, hence the French developing their own aircraft.

*Most of that was spent on the EAP demonstrator and was a mix of private and public money.

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