Rafale and F-35AMacron said that the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system should be offered to countries purchasing the Patriot system, and the Rafale fighter jet to countries purchasing the F-35.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed new strategic approaches to improving Europe's defense capability. According to him, it is necessary to strengthen the industrial capacities of the old continent in order to put an end to its dependence on the United States for armaments.
- said the head of France at a meeting with representatives of the country's defense industry.
According to him, European countries should purchase their own weapons, in particular, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T anti-aircraft system instead of acquiring Patriot.
- it says in the foreign edition of SavunmaSanayiST.
SAMP/T air defense missile systemIn recent days, there has been a heated discussion in the European press about the possibility of the United States pressing the "emergency switch" or the "self-destruct button," which, according to local observers, will completely disable the F-35s in service with EU countries.
Officials were quick to disown such a scenario: the Belgian Ministry of Defense stated that "the F-35 is not a remotely controlled aircraft," and the Swiss military explained that "remote control or blocking of the F-35A, for example, by external interference in electronics, is impossible."
However, the issue of maintaining the F-35 in service in the event of the US abandoning military-technical cooperation remains on the agenda. Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo was the first to speak.:
In this regard, Macron, in his lengthy speech, drew attention to the possibility of replacing the American F-16A [21 aircraft] in service with European aircraft. However, he acknowledged that the production speed of the Rafale depends on the industrial capacity of Dassault and its suppliers.:
RafaleThe French president also said that it is necessary to maintain a balance between exports and national needs in order not to weaken their own armies.
He supports initiatives to increase military spending. However, it is one thing to prescribe the possible costs for defense needs, and it is quite another to find funds to pay for the relevant purchases.:
Apparently, the old world can only get "operational capabilities" through borrowing. According to Macron, 27 European countries have approved an 800 billion euro rearmament plan, of which 150 billion euros have been allocated in the form of loans. But this is only a small part of the total amount, which is why he called for the creation of a new large debt fund in the EU.
The Italian edition of RID believes that Macron's reasoning is correct, but they are several decades too late.:
