Airbus CEO proposes synergies to avoid duplication of costs for European FCAS and GCAP next-generation fighters
Faury calls for joint efforts in FCAS and GCAP fighter development to avoid Eurofighter mistakes
The CEO of Airbus, Guillaume Faury, warned that Europe is running out of time to avoid wasting billions of euros on the development of two rival next-generation fighter jet programs. These are the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), led by Dassault and Airbus, and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), spearheaded by BAE Systems, both aiming to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale. Faury pointed out that if the two programs are not aligned, costs will increase significantly due to the duplication of technology and components.
According to The Telegraph, Faury stated during a press conference in London:
“There are plenty of opportunities to bring those programmes close to each other so we don’t spend all the money twice". "If you want to create value and efficiency, spend less money on R&D and add volumes to lower costs, you need to have countries coming together with capacities that are the same.”
The Airbus CEO emphasized that once European policymakers have a "clear view of the specifications for FCAS and GCAP," they should sit down and discuss how to collaborate to avoid developing different technological standards and components.
Faury believes that, since both programs are in the technological development phase, there are still good opportunities to join forces and avoid the mistakes made with the Eurofighter program, which led to significant delays and cost overruns. However, he warned that in two years, the programs will have diverged too far to integrate them.
Although, this time, Faury did not suggest that both programs should merge, he did stress that European countries need to seek synergies, such as shared engines, sensors, and "combat-cloud" technology, to save on costs and development time.
See also: China's “Great Leap Forward” in Combat Aviation: Has the Era of Sixth-Generation Fighters Arrived?
The Context of Europe's Security at Stake
Faury’s call for collaboration on Europe's sixth-generation fighter jets comes amid the deteriorating security situation in Europe. He highlighted that European governments cannot afford to waste defense budgets, especially with Donald Trump now in office and increasing pressure for Europe to raise military spending. He stated that the situation is more relevant than ever due to the conflict in Ukraine and the fact that the U.S. is “focusing more on the West than the East”, so Europe must take more responsibility for its own future and security.
The Airbus CEO stressed the need for European governments to combine their efforts in acquiring future defense projects to maintain an independent defense industry. He proposed three key measures: first, to unite and create large-scale programs; second, to increase defense spending; and third, to buy products made in Europe. Additionally, he pointed out the lack of consolidation in the European defense industry, citing the availability of 10 military helicopter models in France and Germany compared to only 4 in the U.S. He also highlighted that the U.S. defense procurement budget is five times larger than that of the 27 EU nations, and Europe sources only 40% of its defense products from European manufacturers.
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