Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 34:58-35:14

Why Britain was unlikely to license the ShinMaywa flying boats

Licensing Japan's PS-1 and later US-2 would require a major change in British aviation and procurement thinking, making the path unlikely.

British AviationDefence ProcurementFlying BoatsMaritime Patrol Aircraft
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Question

How plausible is Britain licensing the ShinMaywa PS-1 and later the US-2 as its replacement?

Short answer

Unlikely; it would require a major change in British procurement thinking.

Notes

The counterfactual asks Britain to license the Japanese ShinMaywa PS-1 and later buy or build the US-2 as its successor. That path appears unlikely because it would require a major change in British thinking, rather than because of a stated technical barrier in the aircraft. The obstacle in this brief answer is institutional procurement preference. Operational merits and detailed costs remain unresolved.