Researchers from the Economics of Defence Chair - IHEDN have published in the latest issue of the Revue historique des Armées an article on European states' preferences for fighter aircraft since the Cold War.
Josselin Droff, Research Chair, Julien Malizard, Deputy Chairholder, and Laure Noël, The authors of an article entitled «Les préférences des États en matière d'équipements de défense : les avions de combat en Europe depuis la fin de la Guerre froide» (State preferences in defence equipment: fighter aircraft in Europe since the end of the Cold War).
It was published in the latest issue of the Revue historique des Armées (2020/301) devoted to air power since the Gulf War.
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A symbol of prestige and military power, the combat aircraft is also a market subject to both financial constraints and political and diplomatic uncertainties. This article sets out to understand how these markets are built and how they evolve. States' preferences for fighter aircraft in Europe, with reference to the period 1990-2019. Changes or continuities are quantified using indicators such as the fleet size, the fleet diversity, or the’average age of fleets. The results of this article show that, despite’a common downward trend in the number of combat aircraft, countries have implemented different strategies according to their industrial capacity and operational needs. A typology based on the calculation of an «acquisition gradient» provides an opportunity to discuss future issues in the context of major programmes under development.
This computer graphics presents the main findings of the article :
