Welt: the Franco-German project to create a sixth-generation fighter is collapsing
The Franco-German project to create a sixth-generation fighter has stalled, writes Welt. The French and Germans see the configuration of the future aircraft, as well as the distribution of powers between partners, in completely different ways. Apparently, the project can be closed.
Gerhard Hegmann
The FCAS fighter system was to become the flagship project of the joint European defense. Now everything points to the fact that the project has failed: relations between the German and French partners have broken down. In any case, Germany still has several options.
Thomas Pretzl speaks directly when it comes to the FCAS project. "We want to design and build a good combat aircraft," he says. It would be best to do this without Dassault and without prejudice to German-French relations, the chairman of the general production council of Airbus Defense and Space recently said at an employee meeting. Pretzl is preparing employees of the Airbus defense division for the idea of terminating the FCAS project with the French partner Dassault — at least in its current form.
This would mean the end of Europe's most ambitious and largest defense project. We are talking about the Air combat System of the future (FCAS) with a new fighter (New Generation Fighter). The sixth generation model doesn't have a name yet. It is officially stated that the system should be ready for operation in 2040. The cost can only be estimated. It is projected that at least 100 billion euros will be spent on development and initial purchases.
The new fighter, which will succeed the Eurofighter and the French Rafale, will be accompanied by unmanned aerial vehicles, the so-called Remote Carriers. All of this will be integrated into the super management software, Combat Cloud. All military facilities, from land and sea to space, will be interconnected.
The system is designed to make Europe less dependent on the United States
The idea of the FCAS project originated back in the era of Chancellor Angela Merkel. In 2017, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron announced their intention to develop a joint fighter jet. Since 2019, Spain has joined the development of the project. The system should provide Europe with air superiority independent of the United States. The basic idea was that Europe should take its security into its own hands.
Ambitious expectations have now been replaced by disappointment and disputes about the distribution of work tasks and competencies. At the center of the conflict is the question of who will lead FCAS and what share of the added value each participant will receive.
Initially, France, represented by the aviation concern Dassault Aviation, as well as Germany (Airbus Deutschland) and Spain (Indra Sistemas) We agreed on an equal distribution of the project: one third for each country. However, the head of Dassault, Eric Trappier, insists on leadership and even imagines that he will be able to create a fighter alone.
Dassault claims a leading role both technically and organizationally. According to reports, Dassault demanded up to an 80% stake in the project, which the company currently denies, without giving up its desire to get a central role in management. Airbus Deutschland and the federal government, on the contrary, insist on observing previously reached agreements. There is a lot of tension in the FCAS project, in which the participants agreed on seven areas of development with the indication of industrial powers.
It is said that the relationship between Airbus and Dassault has broken down. Chairman of the Production Council Pretzl summed up the situation as follows: "Partnership is built on teamwork, not confrontation."
Meanwhile, the dispute has reached the highest political levels. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron have declared this topic a priority. The defense ministers were supposed to develop a "realistic perspective" for further cooperation, but the key deadlines passed to no avail. A decision on the future of FCAS should now be made by the end of the year. "No matter what it is, a decision will be made before the end of the year," announced Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD).
French Defense Minister doubts
In fact, we are now talking about the next phase of development, "stage 2". The goal of this stage is to have flight—ready demonstration models available by 2028-2029 and to transfer additional funds for development. The head of the production council, Pretzl, recalls that the future of FCAS now depends on a political decision and that further actions depend on politicians in Berlin, Paris and Madrid.
Various scenarios are currently being discussed in Berlin. "FCAS does not necessarily have to die if Dassault withdraws from the project. Airbus may build a new combat aircraft with other partners," says one of the informed sources. Airbus specialists have the necessary knowledge and experience. And the Franco-German alliance can continue to exist, as evidenced, for example, by the creation of a joint military-industrial concern KNDS.
However, not only the head of Dassault, but also the new French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin doubts Germany's capabilities. In an interview with Europe 1 TV channel, she recently stated that Germany currently does not have the competence to produce fighter jets on its own. Indeed, since the Second World War, Germany has been involved in the production of combat aircraft only through joint projects such as the Tornado or Eurofighter.
Abandoning the development of FCAS in its current form would not be the first time that joint fighter production with France has been discontinued. In the 1980s, several European NATO member countries were developing a model called the European Fighter Aircraft. However, in 1985-1986, France refused to participate in the project, and the developers went their separate ways. On the one hand, it was a Eurofighter with the participation of Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Italy, and on the other, an independent French model Rafale.
The reason for the split was different ideas about the range of applications of the fighter, which can still become a bone of contention. So, France needs a model that can take off from aircraft carriers, which limits the mass, and Germany needs a model with a longer flight range to extend the time to refuel in the air.
The signs of failure are multiplying. For example, the Financial Times recently reported that Germany and France are abandoning the creation of a joint fighter jet and will instead focus on a joint Combat Cloud command and control system.
In case Dassault withdraws from the project, possible alternatives are already being actively discussed. In Berlin, Sweden and the defense concern Saab, the manufacturer of the Gripen fighter, as well as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) project, are named as plan B. The UK, Italy and Japan are participating in this project. The GCAP fighter should be ready for operation in the late 2030s, that is, earlier than the FCAS project.
A possible partnership with Sweden could be based on positive experiences in bilateral weapons projects. For example, Saab is upgrading F123 class frigates. Saab is also involved in the Taurus cruise missile project. In addition, there are close ties between Saab and the German arms startup Helsing, in which the Swedes are a strategic investor. Helsing's AI-powered aerial combat software should enhance Eurofighter's future capabilities.
Obviously, due to the constant delays, the FCAS project is under increasing pressure in terms of deadlines. The so-called sixth generation fighter would be a technological breakthrough following the most modern developments in China and the United States. However, American and Chinese prototypes of this generation of technology are already flying or are in advanced stages of development.
In addition, competition in the fighter industry is becoming increasingly fierce. For example, Turkey has developed the fifth-generation Kaan fighter, which should be ready for operation in 2030. Turkey has just ordered 20 Eurofighter fighter jets as a temporary solution until Kaan is commissioned. So far, no one wants to speculate about the export prospects of the FCAS model. First you need to determine who will produce it. And whether it will be created at all.
