Flight International – 11 June 2019

52 | Flight International | 11-17 June 2019 flightglobal.com

PARIS

Special report

CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

Dassault

Brothers in arms

France and Germany’s proposed Future Combat Air System will turn heads at Le Bourget,

as European industry starts targeting business beyond current trio of rival strike products

A

mong the military highlights at Le

Bourget this year will be a first

glimpse of a proposed future Euro-

pean combat aircraft being ad-

vanced via an ambitious collaboration be-

tween France and Germany.

In February, the nations signed a joint con-

cept study deal linked to a Future Combat Air

System (FCAS) programme, which plans to

deliver a broad-ranging set of capabilities to

their armed forces for frontline use by 2040.

Describing the two-year study phase as a

means to “secure European sovereignty and

technological leadership in the military avia-

tion sector for the coming decades”, industry

partners Airbus Defence & Space and Das-

sault promised that this would “initiate dem-

onstrator programmes for launch at the Paris

air show”.

Continuing a joint activity formalised at the

ILA Berlin air show in April 2018, the FCAS

project has grand ambitions and is influenced

by a bilateral high-level common operational

requirements document. A cutting-edge Next

Generation Fighter will be complemented by

sophisticated unmanned systems referred to

by the companies as “Remote Carriers”, with

the effort also to deliver new and upgraded

weapons – all connected via a so-called

“Combat Cloud”.

A variety of artwork previously shown by

Airbus and Dassault suggests that a “sixth-

generation” configuration for a manned or un-

manned fighter could feature twin canted tails

or a tailless design. They note that the current

work will assess the “operational and techni-

cal viability” of such concepts.

STRONG PEDIGREES

In industrial terms, both parties have much to

offer, with long experience in manufacturing

and currently delivering Eurofighter and Ra-

fale fighters, respectively. Dassault also led

the pan-European Neuron unmanned combat

air system demonstrator programme, while

Airbus’s military arm developed and tested

the Barracuda technology demonstrator, first

flown in 2006. They are also currently collab-

orating on a European medium-altitude, long-

endurance unmanned air vehicle to be used

for intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-

sance tasks.

While it is still early days for the Franco-

German FCAS, Spain has already moved to

join the effort, and Airbus officials have

voiced hopes that it could become a broader

collaboration, perhaps also attracting high-

profile partners such as the UK.

For now though, factors such as the UK’s

pending departure from the EU via Brexit

and a failed previous collaboration between

BAE Systems and Dassault on an Anglo-

French FCAS demonstrator programme

appear to make a one-size-fits-all solution for

the future of European air combat out of the

question.

Today’s fighter arena remains a crowded

space, with Saab’s in-development Gripen E,

the Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale repre-

senting a trio of European rivals during hard-

fought competitions. With France, Germany

and Spain eyeing a joint FCAS, the future

may also see a formidable rival in the shape of

Next Generation Fighter’s

viability will be assessed in

two-year study phase