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FRANCE AND GERMANY

France and Germany hail deal on new European fighter jet

France and Germany on Friday hailed the conclusion of a deal to build a new European fighter jet after months of disagreements between two companies involved -- Airbus and Dassault Aviation.

Published: 19 November 2022 12:52 CET
French Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) followed by French Air Force Dassault Rafale C multirole fighter aircrafts fly-over during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris
French Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) followed by French Air Force Dassault Rafale C multirole fighter aircrafts fly-over during the Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14, 2022. France and Germany have concluded a deal to build a new European fighter jet. Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

Launched by France and Germany in 2017 and since joined by Spain, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aims to have a next-generation jet in service by 2040, along with integrated drone fleets.

But progress on the new delta-wing stealth aircraft has been plagued by fighting over the sharing of the industrial work as well as intellectual property for the cutting-edge technologies.

READ ALSO: French-German relationship under strain as EU faces harsh tests

“After intense negotiations, a deal between manufacturers has been reached for the next phase of the (FCAS) programme,” the German defence ministry said.

Airbus later on Friday confirmed the deal after talks between industry and governments.

“A number of formal steps now have to be taken in the respective countries in order to allow a swift signature of the contract which we will have to adhere to,” the European plane-maker said.

In August 2021, the three countries signed an agreement to inject a combined 3.6 billion euros (around $4 billion) into the project’s initial stage, known as Phase 1B, for building a so-called flight demonstrator starting in 2025.

But the contracts were not signed with Airbus and Dassault, which are overseeing the German and French operations respectively.

The French president’s office on Friday also hailed the conclusion of the deal.

“The political agreement on the FCAS is a big step forward and — especially in the current international context — an important signal of the excellent cooperation between France, Germany and Spain,” it said, echoing the German ministry.

“It strengthens Europe’s military capabilities and guarantees important know-how for our industry and, more broadly, for European industry,” the president’s office said.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is set to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany on November 25, a visit that could help improve defence cooperation as Europe rethinks its military strategy amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Germany worried many in Paris in March this year when it announced a deal to buy 35 F-35 jets from US firm Lockheed Martin. The planes are certified to carry US nuclear warheads kept in Europe as part of the NATO defence alliance.

READ ALSO: Germany to buy F-35 fighter jets in military spending spree

The FCAS’ rival — Britain’s future combat fighter jet project Tempest, whose partners are Italy and Sweden reached its own milestone in July when it announced a pre-prototype would fly “within the next five years”.

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MILITARY

France and Germany sign deal on ‘tank of the future’

France and Germany on Friday firmed up plans to jointly develop a next-generation battle tank equipped with artificial intelligence and laser technology, billed as a game changer in modern warfare.

Published: 27 April 2024 09:21 CEST
France and Germany sign deal on 'tank of the future'

During a ceremony in Paris, the defence ministers of France and Germany, Sebastien Lecornu and Boris Pistorius, signed a memorandum of understanding that seals a 50-50 split in the industrial production of an advanced battle tank dubbed the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).

The push to move ahead with the project comes as Berlin and Paris are eager to show unity after a series of spats on how to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.

In 2017, Germany and France agreed to jointly develop the next-generation battle tank as a successor to the French Leclerc and German Leopard tanks, starting in 2040.

But the tank plans have faced delays amid rivalry between French and German industrial companies, and different priorities in Berlin and Paris.

In March, the two ministers announced in Berlin they had managed to unblock the stalled project by agreeing how to split the work between the two countries.

“Today’s signing is a real milestone”, Pistorius told reporters.

“This is not the tank of the future but the future of the tank,” Lecornu added.

The tank system will have cutting-edge technology that could usher in a new era in land warfare.

The MGCS will consist not just of one armoured fighting vehicle but a system of manned and unmanned vehicles. It will include drones to protect the tank as well as the use of artificial intelligence and laser technology.

Funded in equal parts by Paris and Berlin and run under German management, the project was originally led by defence industry firm KNDS, a tie-up between Nexter from France and Germany’s KMW.

But the delicate balance was upset when Germany’s Rheinmetall joined the project in 2019.

Friday’s agreement designates manufacturers to be responsible for key components of the tank systems including platforms, turrets and guns.

Talks are beginning with manufacturers to develop an initial demonstrator, a sort of pre-prototype.

“The aim is to have the contracts in place by the end of the year, which is very ambitious,” Pistorius said.

With countries like Italy keen to join, Pistorius said the project would be open to partners, “but we already need to draw up contracts” between French and German manufacturers.

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