Dan Loader
26th Apr 2003, 07:09
With the proposed A400 debate heating up, I was wondering what you think about Airbus entering the Military market.
Will we see more support aircraft from Airbus? The 330K doesn't seem much of an opponant against the Boeing FSTA.
What's the likelyhood of Airbus producing a strike aircraft in the near future? The Gripen, Typhoon and F35 seem to have the market saturated, at least in Europe.
i doubt it would be financially viable for them to develop a strike aircraft and compete against the currant aircraft available.
but its highly probable that i could be wrong
FougaMagister
26th Apr 2003, 18:22
I think it's highly unlikely that Airbus will get into the fighter/bomber business in the near future - after all, current European designs (Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale) are designed to last around 30 years!
Airbus, however, is already present in the mil market: they have a Multi-Role Tanker Transport programme going with the A310; it's being used by the Luftwaffe, the Ejercito del'Aire (Spanish Air Force) and the Canadian Air Command as a Cargo/Air Refuelling aircraft (with underwing FR refueling pods), plus by the French Air Force and Thai Air Force as a long-haul transport.
The trouble with the A330 is that there are hardly any on the second-hand market, and that they are quite pricy as new-build a/c (at least for air forces). The A330-200 would, however, make a hell of a tanker!
Airbus has a number of mil. projects going, like the A321, favoured by NATO for a "Joint-STARS"-type programme, and the A310 AWACS as offered to Turkey and (unsuccessfully) to the RAAF in partnership with IAI/Elta. But obviously, the mil market isn't one of their priorities - then again neither is the cargo market (where is the Airbus equivalent of the 737-300/700 Quick Change or the 757-200 freighter?).