Airbus pitches progress on systems despite FCAS fighter row
Airbus Advances and Challenges in the FCAS Fighter Project
By Tim Hepher
May 20 (Reuters) - European aerospace group Airbus on Tuesday talked up progress in designing systems for future combat aircraft to operate together, even as it faces a deadlock with France's Dassault Aviation over Europe's next warplane.
Current Status of the FCAS Project
The comments by CEO Guillaume Faury come as Airbus seeks to keep its options open on alternative projects and alliances while France, Germany and Spain consider whether to scrap the €100-billion ($116 billion) FCAS fighter project.
Speaking at an Airbus event in Germany, Faury said the three governments were still considering the future of the project, which centres on a core fighter jet supported by drones and linked by a classified "combat cloud".
Government Deliberations and Industry Perspectives
"The fighter that is at the core of the difficulties today, there are different ways forward, and I would leave it to governments to reflect and decide what they want to do," Faury told the Airbus Defence Summit.
Defence sources say talks to resolve a dispute between Airbus and Dassault over the Dassault-led core fighter have stalled. Airbus has suggested splitting the programme into two jets while retaining the connective nervous system for which it leads development.
"I am optimistic for FCAS as a system. At Airbus, we continue to collaborate (and) work with different countries," Faury said.
Alternative Partnerships and Strategic Options
Germany has said it could build a fighter alone, while defence sources say Airbus has approached Sweden's Saab or a rival project backed by BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Airbus officials stressed that FCAS - also known by its French initials SCAF - was much more than a fighter jet.
"That’s the position of any prime contractor, particularly in Europe – you don’t want to be cut out of the systems integration part of the chain," said Agency Partners' Sash Tusa.
Specifications Debate and Industrial Disputes
SPECIFICATIONS DEBATE
Speaking at a Eurofighter factory, Faury questioned whether Airbus and Dassault could overcome their months-long dispute.
"At Airbus, we have collaborations with Leonardo and BAE Systems in the Eurofighter ... and it's working," he said.
"But not all companies are capable of cooperating with each other. That's the difficulty we're facing today."
Dassault's Position and Ongoing Negotiations
Dassault declined to comment. It has previously said it is willing to cooperate but wants clearer lines of control, with Dassault driving the core fighter and Airbus having an equally large role on other systems.
Faury hinted the industrial spat is not the only source of disagreement in the FCAS project, launched in 2017 before the war in Ukraine reshaped Europe's defence priorities.
Changing Defence Priorities and Budget Constraints
At the time, budget-constrained militaries were more willing to compromise to cut costs, he said. But rising security risks have sharpened differences over specifications.
"Armed forces really want to get to the point where they will face an enemy, and they want their systems to really reach the objective, so maybe it's less easy to make compromises between different types of needs," Faury said.
Historical Context and Future Implications
France left the Eurofighter project in the 1980s and went alone with the Rafale, in part due to its need for a lighter, carrier-compatible fighter - priorities that analysts say still partly apply today.
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(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter)
