A first look at this next-generation European stealth fighter
SUMMARY
The French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation recently published a video that gives a glimpse into what the reported Franco-German next-generation aircraft might look like.
France and Germany announced in July 2017 that they would join forces to build an advanced "European" fighter to replace Dassault's Rafales and Germany's Eurofighter Typhoons, The War Zone reported summer 2017.
"As expected, 2-engine deltawing," Sim Tack, the chief military analyst at Force Analysis and a global fellow at Stratfor, tweeted on July 5, 2018 about the new Dassault Aviation video, in which the conceptual fighter appears around 3:10.
"I think if they can pull it all off, this seems a legitimate candidate for a highly capable competitor to the F-35 and Su-57," Tack told Business Insider.
Unlike the F-35, Dassault's next-generation fighter is likely to have two engines and therefore much more thrust, Tack said.
"In terms of capabilities, the focus will probably be on stealth technology, and integration with information systems," Tack said, such as "sharing information between aircraft, possibly commanding drones, etc."
Tack added that it was up for debate whether this aircraft would be a fifth- or sixth-generation fighter.
The Dassault fighter also doesn't appear to have a vertical stabilizer, something that would cut down on radar reflections from the side, giving it greater stealth capabilities, Tack said.
In any event, the next-generation fighter will probably be under development for the next 20 years, Tack said.
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