Diverging French-German Fighter Requirements Threaten MTU-Safran Partnership
By Maria Rugamer
Impact of FCAS Collapse on MTU-Safran Partnership
July 30 (Reuters) - MTU Aero Engines CEO Johannes Bussmann warned on Thursday that diverging French and German fighter aircraft requirements could threaten the company's engine partnership with France's Safran after the collapse of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme.
Concerns Over Separate Engine Development
Bussmann said the partnership was not designed to develop separate engines for French and German aircraft, echoing comments made earlier this week by Safran CEO Olivier Andries.
Differences in Aircraft Design
"The French version has a significantly smaller aircraft designed to land on aircraft carriers," he said. "It's slightly different with the Germans."
Factors Leading to FCAS Collapse
The differing requirements were among the factors that contributed to the collapse of FCAS in June, as France sought a carrier-capable successor to the Rafale while Germany did not share that requirement.
Future of the MTU-Safran Engine Venture
"If that happens, we will not be able to continue our cooperation in this case," Bussmann said, referring to the prospect of separate national aircraft programmes.
Uncertainty After FCAS
The MTU-Safran engine venture was one of FCAS's key industrial pillars, and its future remains uncertain after the programme's collapse.
Continuing the Engine Study Phase
Bussmann said MTU and Safran would continue work on the current engine study phase until funding runs out at the end of September and expressed hope that policymakers would clarify Europe's next-generation fighter plans by then.
Exploring Other Options
"Of course, there are other options and other partners we could work with on this," he added.
Potential Alternatives for Germany
At the Farnborough Air Show earlier this month, Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani said Germany could still join the British-Italian-Japanese GCAP fighter programme.
(Reporting by Maria Rugamer; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
