Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

French, German and Spanish aviation companies Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra, issued a joint press release about the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The four main companies, including Eumet, are involved in the FCAS program. They have been awarded a €3.2 billion contract that covers the demonstrator phase, dubbed Phase 1B. The Phase 1B will last three and a half years

The French General Directorate for Armament (DGA) has awarded Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra, EUMET and their industrial partners the contract on behalf of three governments.

The 1B will allow the continuation of flying demonstrators and required technologies development and maturation, as well as the consolidation of project architectures, with in-flight demonstrations targeted in the next phases by 2028-2029.

Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

The 1B will allow for the continuation of flying demonstrators, the development and maturation of required cutting-edge technologies, and the consolidation of project architectures, with in-flight demonstrations targeted for the following phases by 2028-2029.

Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

The programme comprises several systems, including New Generation Fighters collaborating with Remote Carriers and being linked via a Combat Cloud. An adaptable and efficient industrial organisation has been established and built around technological pillars to meet the program’s ambitions and challenges. Each pillar is led by an industrial champion who serves as prime, collaborating closely with its main partners and leveraging each nation’s aeronautical industrial ecosystems.

Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

Airbus, Dassault Aviation, and Indra, in addition to their primary roles in each pillar, serve as national coordinators to ensure the overall coherence of the demonstrators, as well as the comprehensive program’s steering and work consolidation.

Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

The programme comprises a set of systems: New Generation Fighters teaming with Remote Carriers and connected through a Combat Cloud. To meet the ambitions and challenges of such a programme, an adapted and efficient industrial organisation has been set up and built around technological pillars. Each pillar is under the leadership of an industrial champion, acting as prime, working in close cooperation with its main partners and leveraging each nation’s aeronautical industrial ecosystems.

In addition to their prime role per pillar, Airbus, Dassault Aviation, and Indra act as national coordinators to ensure the coherence of the demonstrators and the overall programme’s steering and work consolidation.

The industrial governance of the Phase 1B is organised per domain as follows:

• NGWS Consistency, Demonstrations and Consolidation with Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas as co-contracting partners;

• New Generation Fighter (NGF), with Dassault Aviation for France as the prime contractor and Airbus as the leading partner for Germany and Spain;

Europe’s FCAS on the Way to the First Flight

• New Generation Fighter Engine with the 50/50 Joint-Venture EUMET - between Safran Aircraft Engines for France and MTU Aero Engines for Germany - as prime contractor and ITP for Spain as the primary partner;

• Unmanned systems, Remote Carrier (RC) with Airbus for Germany as prime contractor, MBDA for France and Satnus for Spain as main partners;

• Combat Cloud (CC) with Airbus for Germany as the prime contractor, Thales for France and Indra Sistemas for Spain as main partners;

• Simulation with Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas as co-contracting partners;

• Sensors with Indra Sistemas as prime for Spain, Thales for France and FCMS for Germany as main partners;

• Enhanced Low Observability (stealth) with Airbus as prime contractor for Spain, Dassault Aviation for France and Airbus for Germany as main partners;

• Common Working Environment with Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Indra Sistemas and EUMET as co-contracting partners.