German Tornado replacement
 

Here is a link to a new aircraft the Germans intend to produce.

Germany looks to develop its own sixth generation stealth fighter jet | Defence Blog

If the RAF buy into it then we'll need some extra WSO(Nav) FJ...

http://defence-blog.com/wp-content/u...S-FCAS-web.jpg

...if it is cheaper than F35 then it might make sense for Typhoon replacement.

It looks spookily similar to REPLICA which was developed by BAESYSTEMS in the late 90s:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...CZBKMwvV0K2_Zy

http://www.hitechweb.genezis.eu/stea..._replica_3.jpg

https://d1o50x50snmhul.cloudfront.ne...3590-1_185.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiFIw8OkTWk/sddefault.jpg

https://www.aerosociety.com/media/48....8888888888889

Oh, and BAE are working with Turkey to build 200+ LO strike aircraft...

I first saw REPLICA when I visited the factory nearly 10 years ago. Even then it was old and now a cancelled project as F35 was the way ahead. I couldn't help thinking it was a TSR2 moment I was looking at...

Here she is being transported on her rig somewhere at Warton in 2014.

Why was it cancelled?
I've Googled it - but can't see a reason suggested - just reference to cancellation of the FOAS.
Pressure from the US?
Rather than another TSR2 - another Miles M52 perhaps?
It is eerily similar to the YF-23.

It was cancelled because they couldn't figure out how to turn it the right way up, apparently.

Compare Replica with the MDD/BAE submission for the JSF program.

JSF.mil > Gallery

Replica is usually touted as BAE proving Britain could go it alone in developing a stealth fighter design, thus smoothing our entry into JSF as a full partner

Davef68, that' the way I understand it as far as REPLICA goes.

Hmmmm ok, I wrote something else and decided to change my mind....

So this is the European follow on from Typhoon then...European customers that don't want to be tied to US policy and operating restrictions, and can't get the access we can on the F35, can join the inevitable pan european partnership for this design. I wonder where Dassault sit on this.

I'm going to guess it's going to need all those years in the expected IOC statement to get a design sorted and pushed through the system to actual hardware.

ETA: I think that's a really quite old concept...most armed forces have been happy that the workload can be carried by one person and modern mission systems for some time now.

Will this be like most recent German military procurements? Over pledge of buys, to create a larger work share? Look at their Typhoon and A400 fleet status and life upgrades.

I think the U.K. Has had enough of this type of behaviour, hence our off the shelf purchases of air seeker, F35b, AH64e, there's also the Understanding with Japan.

Currently looking at UAS (or are they RPVs again? :-)) with BAES (son of FOAS) - which no doubt means working on that at the same time as developing a national solution for the inevitable fall out!

UCAV seems more descriptive.

Odd that they've called it "Future Combat Air System", when there already is another FCAS...
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...ounced-422866/

Volkswagen's aviation branch are designing the prototype - apparently the range on internals is amazing :E

And presumably there will be no problem for this jet meeting strict emissions standards :E

Is it possible that REPLICA was just a way of investigating a particular technology issue which coincidentally looked interesting and impressed the colonials? I suppose that's not a good answer for a rumour network though...

EAP

My thoughts exactly.
As a former colleague of mine put it "...that's a great idea; I'm going to go and tell my boss how clever I've been." :E

As long as the NAVAIDS are better than those in my car ... every time it gets confused it gives me a course straight for Wolfsburg regardless of where I actually want to go.

there I was, upside down with nothing on the clock but the maker's name...

I'm going to say, can it only fly upside down? Would this not be dangerous for the crew?:ok:

FB:)

Unless they nicked some downward firing seats from an old F-104 ;)