• tavostator@feddit.org
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      10 days ago

      Not sure if /s, but just in case: The Gripen engine (the „power plant“) is built under license and derived from the General Electric F404 engine, which means that the US basically has a veto vote on who SAAB can sell the Gripen to. Replacing that engine with a european-built (be it Dassault or Airbus or whatever) alternative would make the Gripen a much better plane given the current state of affairs.

    • xxce2AAb@feddit.dk
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      10 days ago

      Essentially yes. The reason why the engine in a fighter jet is referred to as a power plant is that it does more than merely provide propulsion - it also generates the energy required to drive all the other systems of the plane, some of which can be pretty power hungry. Radar in particular.

      • Defectus@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        That makes sense. I thought they didn’t have enough power to produce the planes. Which would be strange XD

        • xxce2AAb@feddit.dk
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          10 days ago

          It’s pretty field-specific terminology, and I can certainly see how it could be confusing for anyone who doesn’t know about the reason for it.