A lecture on the background of the MRCA project was presented to the Society three years ago, at which time most of the basic definition of this trinational project had been completed. The development of the programme in terms of performance, cost and schedule has in the meantime been essentially in accordance with the plans established during 1969.

The overall scope of these plans are mainly contained in the decade of the seventies (Fig. 2). Development started in mid-1970 and series production deliveries will have reached the full target rate in the last quarter of the decade. Also the eighties will see substantial employment of our industries on this project if the aircraft proves as good in performance and price as is intended.