A workshare crisis has emerged between Germany and France in Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. Berlin is uncomfortable with Paris’s demands for a larger share. A collapse of the project could increase Europe’s military dependence on the United States.
The Europe-wide Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme is facing a serious crisis between Germany and France over workshare. At the core of the programme lies the sixth-generation manned New Generation Fighter (NGF).
Officials from the German Ministry of Defence and Airbus are concerned about France’s demand for nearly 80% of the work on the NGF. Berlin is considering continuing with FCAS without France and pursuing the project with new partners. Potential new partners include Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Sweden. In particular, Sweden-based Saab continues its efforts to develop next-generation aircraft and integrated unmanned systems.
Timing and Urgent Decision
The current tension coincides with a critical stage in terms of the programme’s service entry timeline. FCAS is planned to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale around 2040, and Germany aims to renew its combat fleet by then. Members of the German Parliament stress that guarantees regarding roles and workload distribution must be secured by the end of this year.
F-35 Alternative at Risk
If Germany and France go their separate ways, Europe’s dependence on the United States may increase. Continuing a large and technologically complex project like FCAS without France would bring technical, financial, and political challenges. Plans to produce an alternative to the US-made F-35 could be derailed, and strategic balances within NATO may shift.
Europe’s Defence Capacity at Risk
Considering the war in Ukraine and China’s moves on the global stage, Europe’s efforts to strengthen its defence capacity are becoming more critical. A failure of FCAS could undermine Europe’s goal of maintaining technological superiority against Russia and China.
About the FCAS Programme
FCAS was announced in 2017. At its core is the NGF, planned to feature stealth capability, an AI-assisted cockpit, advanced sensor fusion, and supercruise performance. Remotely controlled platforms (RCs) designed to operate in coordination with the NGF are also being developed. Within the project, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, decoy, and armed missions will be carried out independently or in coordination with the NGF.
The total cost of FCAS with full participation and all phases is estimated to reach up to €100 billion. For the initial phase of development and demonstration, a budget of €8–10 billion has been planned. The main partners are Germany, France, and Spain. France is responsible for the NGF, Germany for system integration and software, and Spain for sensors and electronic systems.
Aero Haber X-Twitter you can follow his account. Follow
