Originally Posted by
ORAC
All this is, of course, based on military capability instead of politics. There is is a political case, for the next few years, to demonstrate UK independence from the USA - hence the new UCAV being a UK only programme without US or EU participations.
An independent Typhoon variant rather than the JSF may be seen as just the right message to send....
Which programme is that? The only UK U(C)AV programme has been the Phoenix, which has had many, many more takeoffs than landings and is being scrapped next year. There is then the Predator B ''''''''''''''''squadron''''''''''''''' (term used v. loosely) being stood up in the next couple of years, an American venture, and the UAV being leased/purchased from Thales, a French company, the 450. Neither of these are British. And (for now at least) this country definitely does not have independence from the septics, given that we are now completely unable to defend any of our foreign territories, namely ones 2,500 miles from the nearest friendly base. I'm all in favour of the seaphoon, no matter how much development it needs, however.