Fighter Jets

This article questions Bastien Irondelle’s “Europeanization without the EU” thesis (2003) and shows its limits in the case of fighter jets. Starting from the observation that, when it comes to choosing their fighter jets, European governments remain divided between four different aircraft (the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Gripen, the Rafale and the JSF F-35), we develop a comparative analysis of national decision-making processes. Specifically, we argue that two variables explain weapon procurement?: the industrial structure, i.e., the relative autonomy of the military aerospace sector, and the political preferences of national strategic elites. These two variables derived from political economy and international relations theory allow us to understand the limits of Europeanization in this sector.