Does the joint-bomber proposal assume French demand?

Are the French currently interested in a heavy-bomber program?

No current French requirement is established here. Fleet's proposal assumes that France first decides it wants the capability.

The challenge to the Anglo-French proposal is whether France actually wants a heavy bomber. Fleet answers that French interest is a prerequisite of his hypothetical program, rather than an established requirement. Another suggestion is to choose Japan as a partner with a reason to value long-range maritime strike. The role distinction remains explicit: the proposed aircraft should be a bomber with maritime-strike capability, without allowing the project to become chiefly a maritime-patrol aircraft.