Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:44:53-1:45:48

Why carrier requirements complicate a shared European fighter

Carrier landing gear and seawater protection impose weight that a partner without carriers may not want in its aircraft.

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Question

Is the French-German aircraft disagreement partly about France needing carrier equipment that Germany does not want to carry?

Short answer

Yes. Carrier landing gear and seawater protection add weight to meet a French requirement that Germany does not share.

Notes

The French requirement includes carrier landing gear and protection against seawater. Germany has no aircraft carrier and does not want the weight of equipment it would not use. That difference affects the aircraft itself even where partners can share other components. A comparison with modular laptops illustrates the desired flexibility, while the naval operating requirement still has to be built into the aircraft.