r/europe • u/Interesting-Cat7307 Egypt • 19h ago

News France Launches Development of Its Own 6th-Generation Fighter and ‘Super Rafale’

https://militarnyi.com/en/news/france-launches-development-of-its-own-6th-generation-fighter-and-super-rafale/
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535

u/Vacumbot 19h ago

I am sure France is capable to succeed on technological and industrial side. The fiscal side is the real concern.

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u/Warren_Tarbiat 19h ago

Big orders from India? Especially if they want and need a stealthy carrier fighter.

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u/symptomezz Bavaria (Germany) 18h ago

Could be an option but its kinda doubtful if India would essentially just preorder a fighter without any meaninful IP sharing or domestic manufacturing.

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u/SraminiElMejorBeaver France 16h ago

First Rafale were ordered without domestic manufacturing, but yeah some ip transfer happened, it's not hard, France do it a lot.

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u/symptomezz Bavaria (Germany) 16h ago

Yeah they do it for the Rafale which is a 30 year old design at this point. I sincerely doubt that they will do it for their new cutting edge 6th gen considering that India is not nearly on the same level as an ally to Frances usual european partners.

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u/SraminiElMejorBeaver France 16h ago

Depends what it is and if they are able to afford such tech transfer since it gets expensive, France has no problem transfering critical engine tech for hot parts, just India has to pay few billions to Safran.

Some countries (Egypt, India) that bought the Rafale are making wings or some low level components too, or for UAE they got drones tech even as compensation, it is part of tech transfer.

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u/symptomezz Bavaria (Germany) 15h ago

Sure if France gets financially desperate that might change but the manufacturing and tech they share is still older tech. Safran is not sharing 6th gen engine tech with India and neither Rafale wings or minor tech parts are as sensitive as sharing your cutting edge military technology with a country that is as much an ally to russia as it is to France.

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u/SraminiElMejorBeaver France 12h ago

I don't think you understand how such contracts works, country buying f-35, in general, get tech transfer as compensation of them buying the planes, that is how most armament deals works, that is why Safran Belgium will make some parts of f135 engine, or why some countries got a production line for it.

And the deal in the making for India is very much about tech for 6th gen engine, RR and GE were in the running to sell such knowledge for money.

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u/symptomezz Bavaria (Germany) 11h ago

I understand very well how they work. I just think you vastly overestimate how much of a trusted ally India is. You cant compare european F35 customers getting know how and production lines with India getting any. Turkey wasnt even allowed to just buy F35s over operating some russian AA. Safran is helping India develop an engine for their domestic 5th gen fighter, theyre not sharing their 6th gen engine.

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u/scrandlle 11h ago

There's a large difference in F35 partners and India.

There's little point to a cutting edge fighter if your secret tech becomes not secret.