France retains the lead role in the project.
(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
Paris, Berlin After months of wrangling, the defense division of Airbus and the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault have agreed on a contract for the Fighter Aircraft of the Future (FCAS) project. Dassault boss Eric Trappier told the French newspaper Le Figaro that his company had agreed with Airbus on the next step, the construction of an airworthy demonstration model. The planned jet is the core of a networked air combat system that will also include drones.
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had already announced in mid-October that all those involved in the project – France and Germany as well as Spain – had reached a political agreement to start the next program phase. This also clears the way for the signing of the industrial contracts.
“We have an agreement with Airbus. All hurdles have been cleared,” said Trappier. He informed President Emmanuel Macron and French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu about this on Thursday.
Airbus defense chief Michael Schöllhorn said the deal was “a major step forward for Europe’s flagship program.” The way for the signing of the contract in the “very near future” is now clear.
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In the project, there had been a dispute over the leadership role and the share of the arms companies involved. In the agreement with Airbus, Dassault will retain the lead role in the project and will be the “architect of the aircraft,” Trappier said.
>> Read here: Armaments, technologies, raw materials: France and Germany repair their relationship
Dassault also received guarantees from Airbus that would protect “our know-how and our technologies”. The company will share ownership of the elements to be jointly developed with Airbus, but not the technologies that Dassault will bring to the project.
Formal confirmation by Germany, France and Spain in the next few days
Trappier described the breakthrough announced by Lambrecht two weeks ago as a “pseudo-announcement”. In fact, Airbus and Dassault still had to clarify the last details at company level in order to make the contract ready for signature.
The official signing of the contract and the formal confirmation by Germany, France and Spain should take place in the next few days. In Germany, the contracts must then be submitted to the budget committee.
As a so-called sixth-generation combat aircraft, FCAS is intended to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale jets currently in use. It should have stealth properties, i.e. be difficult for enemy radar to locate, and be suitable for electronic warfare. The project should be operational by 2040. It is the most important joint armaments project in Europe.
More: Airbus boss – “For the first time since 1944 the sky has been closed on this scale”