Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 35:33-37:40

Why the Royal Navy does not need a naval GCAP

The cost of a separate carrier variant is hard to justify while F-35B exists, and a naval Gripen may offer a cheaper crewed alternative to uncrewed aircraft.

Carrier DesignElectronic WarfareF-35BGlobal Combat Air ProgrammeSaab GripenUncrewed Aircraft
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Question

Should the Royal Navy have its own carrier-capable GCAP variant?

Short answer

The cost of a separate carrier variant is hard to justify while F-35B exists, and a naval Gripen may offer a cheaper crewed alternative to uncrewed aircraft.

Notes

A carrier-capable GCAP would create another expensive variant for a requirement already met by F-35B. Repeating the three-version structure of the F-35 program would require a compelling operational need. A naval Gripen able to use a ski-jump carrier may offer a cheaper crewed complement. That option also matters because uncrewed aircraft may struggle in electronically hostile conditions where their links and control systems cannot be trusted.