Du F-35 aux avions solaires : comment la paix peut devenir rentable

Imagine being an F-35 pilot in Iranian airspace, flying a stealth aircraft designed to be virtually undetectable, a machine that cost $2 trillion to develop. Despite its advanced stealth capabilities, a missile suddenly locks onto you, forcing an emergency landing. This incident in Iranian skies is perplexing, especially given the F-35's reputation as the "iPhone of planes"—expensive yet reportedly vulnerable to remote control and hacking. The question then arises: how could such an advanced aircraft be detected in Iranian airspace? The answer lies in Russian and Chinese, particularly Chinese, technology. Even a stealth F-35 must generate propulsion, expelling air at 800 degrees Fahrenheit, an unavoidable heat signature. While stealth coatings and geometry can deflect radio signals, a hot plume is left in the sky. This is akin to how mosquitoes detect humans, following our CO2 plume, confirming it with infrared, and then using our scent. Similarly, for the F-35, while scent wasn't a factor, the Chinese have publicly stated their ability to identify aircraft by the disturbances they create in Starlink signals across the globe. Elon Musk's satellite network, while providing telecommunications, also creates a medium through which flying objects cause interference that the Chinese can exploit. This heat plume, combined with other confidential data, allows for the identification of previously stealthy aircraft. There's no way around this; an aircraft needs propulsion, leaving a heat signature. This scenario highlights a fundamental limitation of stealth technology: an aircraft must fly, whereas a detection radar does not have the same constraints. A radar's sole mission is detection, while an aircraft has multiple simultaneous missions in addition to needing a reduced size. When detection systems are distributed and integrated, they can systematically defeat stealth vehicles. Importantly, the detection used in the F-35 incident was passive, not active radar. It didn't send out signals that could be tracked by anti-radar bombs. Instead, it detected the heat plume, combining it with other information to pinpoint the aircraft's location. With AI, a missile can be guided to its target, undeterred by decoys. This discussion, however, transcends the specifics of warfare, shifting to the concept of a "pacifico-industrial complex" as an alternative to the "military-industrial complex." President Eisenhower coined the latter term, recognizing how the war industry, dependent on conflict, drives perpetual warfare. He believed that collective energy, like the $2 trillion spent on the F-35, would be better used for hospitals, schools, and scientific projects than for destruction. Psychologist William James theorized a "moral equivalent of war," suggesting that while humans excel under the pressure of war, a non-violent alternative could drive similar innovation and excellence in peacetime for constructive purposes. This is the essence of the pacifico-industrial complex: making peace infinitely more profitable than war. Historically, military technologies—radars, sonar, computers, the internet, and even artificial intelligence (initially developed for nuclear deterrence)—have transitioned to civilian use, profoundly changing the world. The question is, can we harness these innovations without the prerequisite of war, avoiding the millions, or even billions, of deaths that warfare now makes easier to inflict than to govern? The future of air security, as demonstrated by Iran, lies in "stand-off weapons" and "loitering munitions." Iran, despite its outdated air force, has developed missile cities and mathematical obfuscation techniques to hide launch sites, making detection difficult. The future of sky surveillance involves High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS). These pseudo-satellites, essentially solar-powered aircraft, represent an area where civilian innovation has historically outpaced military development, much like the Supermarine Spitfire, a legendary fighter, originated from a civilian seaplane company. The current trend, however, is a diversion of civilian ingenuity to military ends, a historical pattern seen with figures like Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Einstein. Before the recent events in Iran, the ancestors of HAPS were solar aircraft like the legendary Solar Impulse, a project by the Picard dynasty of explorers. Solar Impulse aimed to circumnavigate the globe using solar power, charging during the day and discharging batteries at night. Today, this doctrine is being adopted for air surveillance. Despite the obvious benefits, military bureaucracies often dismiss ideas from outside their ranks, much like civil drones' dominance in Ukraine was unforeseen by military brass, or how the French army in 1914 considered airplanes mere toys. This bureaucratic inertia means that despite the public dissemination of these ideas, they are unlikely to be taken seriously by established military bodies in Western countries. However, envisioning a future where these HAPS carry missiles, acting as "loitering munitions" capable of remaining airborne for months or even a year. These giant solar-powered flying wings, integrated with all available radar information, could carry missiles that detach and strike invading aircraft with absolute certainty, guided by passive means. The enemy would be detected and eliminated without even knowing they were targeted. These HAPS could also act as decoys, saturating airspace to confuse adversaries. The problem for the military-industrial complex is that this solution is low-cost and relatively low-tech, or "high-low" tech—a blend of high and low technology. Such cost-effective solutions are not appealing to those who profit from multi-trillion-dollar defense budgets and can manipulate public opinion through subsidized experts. However, for nations under sanctions and truly at war, high-tech/low-tech solutions become essential. War, at its core, is a logistics chain that delivers death. The "last mile" of a bullet is in the target. Drones have made it possible to deliver death faster than an iPhone can be delivered by drone. Why not apply this logistical excellence to peace? HAPS could blend military and civilian budgets. In peacetime, these solar flying wings could serve as scientific data gatherers, meteorological surveillance tools, 5G or Li-Fi signal providers, and maritime surveillance platforms. They could even carry "seed bombs" to re-green deserts. Such innovation is crucial, especially when facing competitors like SpaceX, which has surpassed European space agencies. HAPS could disrupt satellite communication by providing alternative signal relays. The most important aspect is to transform war into peace, to repurpose military technologies for constructive ends. For France, a fleet of HAPS could protect its vast maritime space, a task currently handled by expensive, limited patrol boats. This fleet could also stream the beauty of the world, inspiring vocations and stimulating creativity, much like a YouTuber filming a crackling fireplace can generate significant income. Tomorrow, with mastery of this technology, HAPS could evolve into grand tourism platforms. With spatial tourism becoming more affordable, high-altitude pseudo-satellites offer a safer and potentially more appealing alternative. Imagine France developing solar aircraft with wingspans of 300 meters, carrying tourists to experience the absolute wonders of French airspace and our blue planet. This civilian innovation would also act as a deterrent, showcasing France's capabilities in peacetime and warning potential adversaries against engaging in conflict. Ultimately, the goal is to transform war into peace, to channel human ingenuity not into destruction, but into the erection of beauty.