Interesting article re Avro Arrow

[planedriver]

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200615-the-record-breaking-jet-which-still-haunts-a-country

[old man emu]

With friends like the USA, who needs enemies?

 

What was the British jet fighter that the US crushed?

[facthunter]

CONCORDE. Nev

[Deskpilot]

I think you're thinking of the TSR2. Almost the same story as the Arrow, so far ahead of anything the Yanks had. Did they put pressure on PM Harold Wilson? We'll never know.

 

[onetrack]

These ill-fated warplanes are all classic examples of companies being given too much leeway by way of defence expenditure, without proper oversight of the sales and income potential of the final product.

 

Canada paid out another $500M in 1993, for precisely nothing in return (cancellation fees), on the cancelled Sea King helicopter replacement contract. They really are suckers for losing huge money on ill-thought-out defence disasters.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Sea_King_replacement

[Riley]

These ill-fated warplanes are all classic examples of companies being given too much leeway by way of defence expenditure, without proper oversight of the sales and income potential of the final product.

 

Canada paid out another $500M in 1993, for precisely nothing in return (cancellation fees), on the cancelled Sea King helicopter replacement contract. They really are suckers for losing huge money on ill-thought-out defence disasters.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Sea_King_replacement

The Canucks are not alone in curious defence spending (and in support of my previous nationality) could I point out our rather pricey French submarine agreement?

[Student Pilot]

And the JSF

[kgwilson]

And the JSF

Latest costs have blown out to more than $US1 trillion over its lifespan.

[Old Koreelah]

Latest costs have blown out to more than $US1 trillion over its lifespan.

I guess the main function of expensive defence systems is deterrence. That just means the opposing team gets innovative and comes up with alternative ways to get up your nose, like hacking your computer systems.

[kgwilson]

Getting back to the Arrow and TSR-2, politics killed innovation and progress in the British Aviation industry by the denial of adequate funding. If it had been allowed to flourish I think it would have outperformed all others. The English Electric Lightning designed in the early 1950s was the only aircraft ever to be able to catch and overtake the Concorde.

 

British Aviation manufacturing merged into BAC & then BAE with a substantial stake in Airbus. They pulled out of Airbus but still make the wings in Wales.

 

Interestingly BAE systems is now one of the 6 largest suppliers to the US military, the biggest defence supplier in Europe & 3rd largest in the world. BAEs Gen 6 development "Tempest" is apparently ahead of everything else designed to be flown with or without a pilot, use swarming technology, deep learning artificial intelligence & direct energy weapons. Revenues now exceed £18 Billion. It looks like the Phoenix is rising from the ashes.