What if: British Aerospace EAP

[lordroel]

So the British Aerospace EAP (standing for Experimental Aircraft Programme) was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace (BAe) as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.



Wikipedia: British Aerospace EAP

But what if the British decided to build them instead of joining the Eurofighter program

[stevep]

Apr 19, 2022 16:35:19 GMT lordroel said:

So the British Aerospace EAP (standing for Experimental Aircraft Programme) was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace (BAe) as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.



Wikipedia: British Aerospace EAP

But what if the British decided to build them instead of joining the Eurofighter program

  Well the two issues would be:

a)  This implies Britain is playing no part in Eurofighter, which assuming some programme goes ahead without us would see us excluded from both most of the W European market and also having to compete with the TTL Eurofighter which is going to have a markedly larger home base and government support than a British programme would.

b)  Given that government policy since 1979 has been NOT to support British industry I think it would be difficult for BAe to get the necessary long term funding for such a big project.  I do recall, think it was in the 1990's they were involved in a proposed joint-project with a S Korean company for the development of a light fighter.  This fell through because one side couldn't get the necessary funding for it and that wasn't in S Korea.

[lordroel]

Apr 20, 2022 19:22:08 GMT stevep said:

Apr 19, 2022 16:35:19 GMT lordroel said:

So the British Aerospace EAP (standing for Experimental Aircraft Programme) was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace (BAe) as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.



Wikipedia: British Aerospace EAP

But what if the British decided to build them instead of joining the Eurofighter program

  Well the two issues would be:

a)  This implies Britain is playing no part in Eurofighter, which assuming some programme goes ahead without us would see us excluded from both most of the W European market and also having to compete with the TTL Eurofighter which is going to have a markedly larger home base and government support than a British programme would.

b)  Given that government policy since 1979 has been NOT to support British industry I think it would be difficult for BAe to get the necessary long term funding for such a big project.  I do recall, think it was in the 1990's they were involved in a proposed joint-project with a S Korean company for the development of a light fighter.  This fell through because one side couldn't get the necessary funding for it and that wasn't in S Korea.

There is a nice What if article over at the Red Dawn 20 + Wiki about the British Aerospace EAP designated as the BAe Tempest

Variants

BAe Tempest FGR.1: Single seat fighter variant.

BAe Tempest FGR.1A: Single seat fighter variant, added Active Skyflash (Skyflash Mk.2) and AIM-120 capability.

BAe Tempest FGR.1B: Single seat fighter variant with improved A2G capabilities.

BAe Tempest T.2: Two-seat trainer, combat capable

BAe Tempest FGR.3: entered into service in 1994, last version of the BAe Tempest.

BAe Tempest T.4: Two-seat version of the BAe Tempest FGR.3, combat capable.