(click for cutaway view)
In “Singapore’s RSAF Decides to Fly Like An Eagle” and “Dassault Discusses Global Fighter Market to 2015“, DID has looked at the state of the global fighter market and its segmentation. Particular attention was paid to the 4th-generation European fighters (Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen) and where they fit. Recently, the May 2006 issue of French publication Defense et Sécurité Internationale carried an article entitled “Rafale et Typhoon: Les Europeens auraient-ils tort d’avoir… raison” [PDF format]. It looks at the Rafale and Eurofighter in particular, and notes some of the issues that have stalled their export success.
The article argues that the planes were well adapted to European needs, but had critical gaps when placed on the global export market. While these shortcomings and others are all being addressed in time, many of these improvements are arriving just as the aircraft’s market window is narrowing. Were the Europeans really wrong to be right? The article is completely in French, but we’re putting the link up for DID’s international and multi-lingual readers because it was interesting.
