Germany, France to Build Next-Generation Warplanes
PARIS (Reuters) -- France and Germany were to announce Wednesday a 65 million euro ($74 million) contract financed equally by both countries over two years as the first act of the joint program to design a next-generation combat jet, a French army source and two other sources familiar with the matter said.
Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which will build the jet that is expected to replace Dassault’s Rafale and Germany’s Eurofighters by 2024, will start work on the concept and architectures of the program, the source said.
The French and German governments are expected to award the companies involved additional contracts to advance technologies and work on demonstrators this summer.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel first announced plans in July 2017 for the new Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will include a fighter jet and a range of associated weapons, including drones.
After nearly two years of preparatory work by the companies involved, Wednesday’s agreements and contract signing will pave the way for the program to begin in earnest.
The initial contracts being signed on Wednesday will run for two years, the sources said.
Airbus and Dassault have been waiting for initial contracts to be signed to start work on the new project.
France’s Safran and Germany’s MTU Aero Engines will jointly develop the new warplane’s engine, a German security source said.
French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen were to preside over the signing ceremony at a Safran site in northeastern Paris on Wednesday, where representatives for the two companies were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding, the source said, adding that Spain is to join the project in the summer.
French electronics firm Thales and European missile maker MBDA would also participate.
Germany removed a key obstacle to progress on the project last week when it bowed to French demands and excluded Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter from a multibillion-euro tender to replace ageing Tornado fighter jets that are fitted to carry U.S. nuclear weapons.
Paris, Germany’s closest European partner, had warned that buying the F-35 in particular would derail plans to develop the new Franco-German fighter by 2040 since it would constitute a potential competitor to that project.
France and Germany will add Spain as a full partner in the program this summer, sources told Reuters in December.
Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which will build the jet that is expected to replace Dassault’s Rafale and Germany’s Eurofighters by 2024, will start work on the concept and architectures of the program, the source said.
The French and German governments are expected to award the companies involved additional contracts to advance technologies and work on demonstrators this summer.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel first announced plans in July 2017 for the new Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will include a fighter jet and a range of associated weapons, including drones.
After nearly two years of preparatory work by the companies involved, Wednesday’s agreements and contract signing will pave the way for the program to begin in earnest.
The initial contracts being signed on Wednesday will run for two years, the sources said.
Airbus and Dassault have been waiting for initial contracts to be signed to start work on the new project.
France’s Safran and Germany’s MTU Aero Engines will jointly develop the new warplane’s engine, a German security source said.
French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen were to preside over the signing ceremony at a Safran site in northeastern Paris on Wednesday, where representatives for the two companies were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding, the source said, adding that Spain is to join the project in the summer.
French electronics firm Thales and European missile maker MBDA would also participate.
Germany removed a key obstacle to progress on the project last week when it bowed to French demands and excluded Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter from a multibillion-euro tender to replace ageing Tornado fighter jets that are fitted to carry U.S. nuclear weapons.
Paris, Germany’s closest European partner, had warned that buying the F-35 in particular would derail plans to develop the new Franco-German fighter by 2040 since it would constitute a potential competitor to that project.
France and Germany will add Spain as a full partner in the program this summer, sources told Reuters in December.