Battlefield Europe

[Mega]

I think we seeing WW3 being fought in Europe.....China & Brics trying to save it, US/Uk trying to smash it.........Meantime else where the WORLD sends a "MESSAGE" to US:-

I've just read how Boeing the mightiest giant of American industry has just been trounced by Airbus at the Paris air show (aka Le Bourget). Airbus won orders worth a staggering 72bln Euro while Boeing only won 17bln Euro. This has never happened before and has sent shockwaves around US aerospace.

I can't see a clear rationale for this other than the world is looking carefully at the USA and realizing it's low base interest rate policy has screwed the everyones economies.... to me this looks like backlash. Any industry insiders have a view?

Also, did you all notice how the USA lost the $11bln contract to sell >100 multi-role fighters to India? The USA offered the upgraded F-16 and F-18 while Europe offered the Eurofighter and Rafale. Only the later two are left in the race prompting the USA to accuse India of failing to see the strategic importance of buying their aging F-teens. As a last ditch attempt Lockheed Martin tried to re-enter the race by offering the F-35 Lightning stealth bomber without having sought the agreement of the partner nations (UK, Canada, Oz). It seems they have principles that bend with the way the wind blows.

This news will be lost on most, but the fact is the USA is now facing a serious challenge in defense aerospace. This has not happened since the 1950s. You should all bear in mind the projected cost of the F-35 Lightning and F-22 Raptor programmes is some $2trln..... read that again, two trillion dollars. If Europe gets its' act straight then we could place part of our own defense procurement programmes in Spain, Portugal and Greece (I said part of!) and in doing so rescue their youth from economic depression. Remember - under the UKs pathetic defense strategy our taxpayers will be paying huge sums to the USA for our own defense while at the same time the USA denies their closest partner the software codes needed to ensure the planes are not grounded should the USA use its jamming technology. Wake up.

Frankly, I think its time for France and Germany to stick two fingers up to the UK and call their bluff.

[lektrode]

Re: Battlefield Europe

...
I've just read how Boeing the mightiest giant of American industry has just been trounced by Airbus at the Paris air show (aka Le Bourget). Airbus won orders worth a staggering 72bln Euro while Boeing only won 17bln Euro. ...

would think that has more to do with the 787 being delayed than anything else - esp considering the fact that the airbus 330(?) computer system was found to be the culprit in that one that went down off brazil last year...

dunno about anyone else, but i still much prefer to fly on boeings jets than anyone elses - sez the guy about to board a crj200

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: Battlefield Europe

As for Airbus vs Boeing at the Paris airshow, I'm not sure the results for orders were really that dramatic. Apparently Airbus have a nice fuel-efficiency upgrade to the A320 which wins the day. Boeing will likely return volley with a similar upgrade for the 737.

For fighter jets in India your tidbit about Lockheed Martin making a last minute pitch for the F-35 is pretty interesting.

Challenges to US air superiority... In the near term, the US prevails without question. Great aircraft and great pilots will beat the world for many years to come. Over the longer term, well, the US gives away military superiority when it gives away its industrial base. It's inevitable that America will become an also-ran in aircraft, missiles, ships and armor. Those military hardware advantages were a result of having the best engineers and factories in the world (by far), and lots more of both than anyone else (by far).

[c1ue]

Re: Battlefield Europe

Those military hardware advantages were a result of having the best engineers and factories in the world (by far), and lots more of both (by far).

Let's not forget the money which backed both these points up...

[gwynedd1]

Re: Battlefield Europe

Sounds like an economic boom for the US is on the horizon. No need to curtail the sale of second rate technology to the third world. We have already seen this model work. I look forward to cheap and numerous American weapons in need of replacement due to excessive losses in the field.

[Scot]

Re: Battlefield Europe

I've just read how Boeing the mightiest giant of American industry has just been trounced by Airbus at the Paris air show (aka Le Bourget). Airbus won orders worth a staggering 72bln Euro while Boeing only won 17bln Euro. This has never happened before and has sent shockwaves around US aerospace.

I can't see a clear rationale for this other than the world is looking carefully at the USA and realizing it's low base interest rate policy has screwed the everyones economies.... to me this looks like backlash. Any industry insiders have a view?

Boeing is very vulnerable to strikes by organized labor. And a recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board essentially makes it impossible for Boeing to expand production into regions of the country where labor is less expensive and less likely to strike.

Boeing is at the mercy of organized labor at this point. Anyone placing an order for aircraft from Boeing puts their own interests at risk.

[brent217]

Re: Battlefield Europe

Sounds like an economic boom for the US is on the horizon. No need to curtail the sale of second rate technology to the third world. We have already seen this model work. I look forward to cheap and numerous American weapons in need of replacement due to excessive losses in the field.

I can't see it. The timeline for projected WWIII is a lot sooner than the timeline for planning, prototyping and building new fighters, bombers, armor, etc. If noone else in the world can touch stealth aircraft, then air supremacy > all, no matter how much the rest of the world complains.

[cmalbatros]

Re: Battlefield Europe

"would think that has more to do with the 787 being delayed than anything else - esp considering the fact that the airbus 330(?) computer system was found to be the culprit in that one that went down off brazil last year..."

Not quite true, the real culprit was the external air speed sensors icing up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercooling and the pilot not knowing speed of air craft to be able to avoid stalling/crashing. Was more than one plane with same problem, luckily for others they were able to fly to warmer temps to melt ice, but 1 that went down was in a huge storm and could not.