Having opted out of the Eurofighter project in 1985, France's determination to go it alone in defence matters has led to the spectacle of two expensive European combatplanes competing for the same big contract.
It's a new radar setup that turns the helicopter into an all-seeing eye, capable of surveying the 360-degree space around it in order to direct fighter planes in combat.
For the most part, America's fleet of C-17s and aging C-5 cargo planes has held up relatively well, even as they labor to support demanding combat operations over exceedingly long distances.
After all, the very foundation of the future military force rests on the limited number of planes able to carry vehicles and equipment, such as the Army's Future Combat Systems.