"Pete" wrote in message
...

"phil hunt" wrote


If Sweden (population 9 million) can design and build a modern
fighter, I'm sure Britain (population 60 million) could.

They can design it. Could they (would they) pay for it on their own?

Pete

Part of the idea of these multinationl designes is to lock several countries
into being customers and to make it politically difficult to withdraw.

Britain has a reputation for cancelling its own Brilliant designes and
****ing the money up the wall on inept politics.

Germany has had some of the most advanced concepts, including stealth when
it was not a fashion, of any country but they never get past the technology
demonstators stage because (mainly left) wing politics usually leads to
cancellations. The Germans also have enormous political problems in
exporting so they need to link into someone elses program.

The French generally don't get involved in major programes because they
don't want any export restrictions. If they do get involved in a program
they eventualy seem to come up with their own version of a missile.

In General will power and direction and a sense of autonomous independence
is missing in the west: We don't know what we are and what we stand for
accept vague concepts such as 'diversity' or whatever is in vogue. The
willpower doesn't exist. While there are reasons for having a strong
military the history of the misuses and abuses of the US military really
don't endear the idea of a large armed forces to most people.