**The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) has reached a key stage. After two false alarms in a fortnight, Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, confirms, in an exclusive interview with Le Figaro, and after having informed Emmanuel Macron and Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, that he has reached an industrial agreement with Airbus on the new generation fighter aircraft (NGF), an essential component of the FCAS.**
For a year, a dispute had opposed the two manufacturers, which had frozen this project, the most ambitious launched in Europe in terms of cooperation in armaments. The aim is to ensure the security and defence of the old continent by providing a successor to the Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation, and the Eurofighter, developed by a consortium of Airbus, the British BAE and the Italian Alenia. Following close negotiations, an agreement has been reached. It reaffirms France’s role as leader, prime contractor and architect of Dassault Aviation’s New Generation Fighter (NGF). It also protects the intellectual property of French technologies and know-how. France, for its part, reaffirmed its freedom to export the NGF, a “known fact” for Germany and Spain, the two partner countries of the FCAS, which “France will not go back on”, in the words of Sébastien Lecornu. The industrial agreement paves the way for the signing of the study contract, known as Phase 1B, which should prepare for the construction of a demonstrator, the flight tests of which are planned for 2029.
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### Le Figaro. – For the past year, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project has been hanging on an industrial agreement between Airbus and Dassault Aviation on the new generation fighter (NGF). Are you now in a position to announce that this agreement has been concluded?
Éric Trappier. – The FCAS is a political project launched by President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2017, and at a standstill since summer 2021. So, yes, today it is done. We have an agreement with Airbus. All blockers have been lifted. We will be able to enter the new study phase, known as 1B, which should prepare the development of a demonstrator, which should fly around 2029. All that remains is the formal signing of the contracts in a few days’ time. They will be notified by the Directorate-General for Armaments (DGA), which is the executive agency for the contracts, on behalf of the three partner countries – France, Germany and Spain.
### In the last two weeks, politicians in Germany and France have announced that this agreement has been reached. Have you been under pressure?
There was pressure from all sides. We have put pressure. We have been under pressure. But until the industrial agreement was concluded, it was premature to announce it. Today, it is done, so we can make it public.
### Did you get all the guarantees you demanded or did you have to make concessions?
All negotiations involve concessions. But yes, we have obtained all the guarantees to open a new phase of what is, I remind you, a phase of upstream studies and not yet a programme. We have been confirmed in our role as prime contractor and architect of the aircraft and we have obtained the protection of our industrial know-how and our technologies. This means setting up an industrial organisation with a leader and partners. Ownership of the work to be carried out jointly will be shared, but the technologies and know-how that belong to us will not. It is a win-win agreement for all parties.
### How do you feel about this new phase?
We are driven by enthusiasm, determination and satisfaction. Enthusiasm and determination because we have the ambition to fly a new combat aircraft demonstrator in four to five years, which has not happened since the first flight of the European demonstrator nEUROn just ten years ago! Being the architect of a new combat aircraft is very motivating for our company, our teams, those of Airbus, our main partner, Indra and our historical partners Safran, Thales and MBDA. Not to mention our ecosystem of subcontractors in the three countries, who will be part of the adventure. I know I can count on their skills and motivation to meet this challenge. Not to mention all the young people we will be recruiting to work with the older ones, who have participated in the Rafale adventure. This is a project that allows for the renewal of generations and the transmission of skills.
It is an ambitious project because it involves preparing the successor to the Rafale, which will be operational after 2040. In the meantime, the Rafale will continue to evolve and to be marketed. I am confident that new countries will adopt it. It will continue to fly for decades in the French forces and those of our international customers.
I am also satisfied because the French Defence Procurement Agency, on behalf of the three countries, has placed its trust in us, which means that we have a responsibility to meet the expectations of the armies of these partner countries.
### What about the freedom to export the NGF?
We claim it because our industrial model cannot function without exports. However, this is not our responsibility but that of the State. I welcome the unambiguous words addressed to the national representation, both by the Prime Minister and by the Minister of the Armed Forces, on the fundamental nature of the freedom to export. Our long-standing and more recent partners, who have bought the Rafale, are counting on us to continue their strategic relationship with France.
Hey this is big
*continued sad Gripen noises*
another Eurofighter jet that will take too long, be too expensive and no one will want.
I can see the future, in two or three years Germany will get out of this scaf thing. 🙂
5 comments
**The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) has reached a key stage. After two false alarms in a fortnight, Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, confirms, in an exclusive interview with Le Figaro, and after having informed Emmanuel Macron and Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, that he has reached an industrial agreement with Airbus on the new generation fighter aircraft (NGF), an essential component of the FCAS.**
For a year, a dispute had opposed the two manufacturers, which had frozen this project, the most ambitious launched in Europe in terms of cooperation in armaments. The aim is to ensure the security and defence of the old continent by providing a successor to the Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation, and the Eurofighter, developed by a consortium of Airbus, the British BAE and the Italian Alenia. Following close negotiations, an agreement has been reached. It reaffirms France’s role as leader, prime contractor and architect of Dassault Aviation’s New Generation Fighter (NGF). It also protects the intellectual property of French technologies and know-how. France, for its part, reaffirmed its freedom to export the NGF, a “known fact” for Germany and Spain, the two partner countries of the FCAS, which “France will not go back on”, in the words of Sébastien Lecornu. The industrial agreement paves the way for the signing of the study contract, known as Phase 1B, which should prepare for the construction of a demonstrator, the flight tests of which are planned for 2029.
—
### Le Figaro. – For the past year, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project has been hanging on an industrial agreement between Airbus and Dassault Aviation on the new generation fighter (NGF). Are you now in a position to announce that this agreement has been concluded?
Éric Trappier. – The FCAS is a political project launched by President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2017, and at a standstill since summer 2021. So, yes, today it is done. We have an agreement with Airbus. All blockers have been lifted. We will be able to enter the new study phase, known as 1B, which should prepare the development of a demonstrator, which should fly around 2029. All that remains is the formal signing of the contracts in a few days’ time. They will be notified by the Directorate-General for Armaments (DGA), which is the executive agency for the contracts, on behalf of the three partner countries – France, Germany and Spain.
### In the last two weeks, politicians in Germany and France have announced that this agreement has been reached. Have you been under pressure?
There was pressure from all sides. We have put pressure. We have been under pressure. But until the industrial agreement was concluded, it was premature to announce it. Today, it is done, so we can make it public.
### Did you get all the guarantees you demanded or did you have to make concessions?
All negotiations involve concessions. But yes, we have obtained all the guarantees to open a new phase of what is, I remind you, a phase of upstream studies and not yet a programme. We have been confirmed in our role as prime contractor and architect of the aircraft and we have obtained the protection of our industrial know-how and our technologies. This means setting up an industrial organisation with a leader and partners. Ownership of the work to be carried out jointly will be shared, but the technologies and know-how that belong to us will not. It is a win-win agreement for all parties.
### How do you feel about this new phase?
We are driven by enthusiasm, determination and satisfaction. Enthusiasm and determination because we have the ambition to fly a new combat aircraft demonstrator in four to five years, which has not happened since the first flight of the European demonstrator nEUROn just ten years ago! Being the architect of a new combat aircraft is very motivating for our company, our teams, those of Airbus, our main partner, Indra and our historical partners Safran, Thales and MBDA. Not to mention our ecosystem of subcontractors in the three countries, who will be part of the adventure. I know I can count on their skills and motivation to meet this challenge. Not to mention all the young people we will be recruiting to work with the older ones, who have participated in the Rafale adventure. This is a project that allows for the renewal of generations and the transmission of skills.
It is an ambitious project because it involves preparing the successor to the Rafale, which will be operational after 2040. In the meantime, the Rafale will continue to evolve and to be marketed. I am confident that new countries will adopt it. It will continue to fly for decades in the French forces and those of our international customers.
I am also satisfied because the French Defence Procurement Agency, on behalf of the three countries, has placed its trust in us, which means that we have a responsibility to meet the expectations of the armies of these partner countries.
### What about the freedom to export the NGF?
We claim it because our industrial model cannot function without exports. However, this is not our responsibility but that of the State. I welcome the unambiguous words addressed to the national representation, both by the Prime Minister and by the Minister of the Armed Forces, on the fundamental nature of the freedom to export. Our long-standing and more recent partners, who have bought the Rafale, are counting on us to continue their strategic relationship with France.
Hey this is big
*continued sad Gripen noises*
another Eurofighter jet that will take too long, be too expensive and no one will want.
I can see the future, in two or three years Germany will get out of this scaf thing. 🙂