Dassault CEO strikes dark tone on Europe's sixth-gen fighter progress
PARIS — Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier slammed the cooperation with Airbus on developing a European sixth-generation fighter jet, telling French lawmakers that working together is 'very, very difficult' amid continued bickering over work share.
'Something is not working,' Trappier said in a hearing of the National Assembly defense committee here on Wednesday. 'So it needs to be reviewed. It's not up to me to do that, it's up to the states to get together to figure out how to better manage this ambitious program.'
France, Germany and Spain in December 2022 awarded Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra Sistemas and Eumet a €3.2 billion ($3.6 billion) contract for phase 1B of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), covering research, technology and overall design. That's after Dassault and Airbus reached agreement on the next-generation fighter earlier that month, after more than a year of squabbling.
Dassault is the prime contractor for the new generation fighter or NGF at the heart of the combat system, with Airbus the main partner on behalf of Germany and Spain. After the development phase, the next step will be building a demonstrator in phase 2, which France has previously said would be announced in 2026, for a first flight scheduled in 2029.
Wrangling between the partners over how to share the workload is causing delays, and reaching agreement on Phase 2 'is still going to take time, that's for sure,' according to Trappier.
The French executive is typically outspoken, and has previously criticized how work on FCAS is organized. He has previously commented on working with Airbus, saying in a parliamentary hearing in May 2023 that FCAS was difficult with three partners, though the executive said at the time he was 'very confident in our capability to jointly develop a demonstrator.'
In a response to his new testimony this week, Airbus said the FCAS program has made 'strong progress,' including the concept selection review achievement within the phase 1B contract. 'We are now on our way to phase 2 contracts,' the company said in an emailed statement to Defense News.
'We are committed to FCAS, which represents the backbone of the European defense industry and strategic autonomy,' Airbus said. 'We do believe in FCAS as a collaborative European industrial program, even more so in the current geopolitical context. That is our commitment from the beginning, to pursue a system of systems that goes beyond a future European fighter.'
Meanwhile, Germany's new government said this week it plans to swiftly continue development of FCAS, according to the coalition agreement between the conservative CDU/CSU and the center-left SPD.
Trappier said the fragmented work methodology of FCAS is a cause of delays, as 'each time we reopen pointless, endless discussions' with a push for more co-development and cooperation. Trappier said he disagrees with that model, and focus should be on prioritizing the best skills.
While Dassault is the prime contractor, the French company weighs for only a third in decision making, with Airbus having two-thirds of the vote on behalf of Germany and Spain, Trappier said. That means the lead company on the NGF can't divvy up the work as it sees fit, the CEO complained.
'We have to constantly accommodate, constantly negotiate. It's what's called permanent negotiation. I hope we will reach an agreement to move forward,' he said.
Calculations on the shape of the future aircraft have been completed, 'we know how to manufacture it, get it flying as quickly as possible,' the CEO said. 'I would be very much in favor of speeding things up.'
Trappier mentioned the French-led nEUROn drone project as an example of what cooperation should look like, with six countries successfully developing an 'ultra stealthy' combat drone on a tight budget. The CEO said Dassault as manager of the program didn't compromise on the product for the sake of 'geo return,' the practice of guaranteeing nations a work share proportional to their investment, which Trappier called 'absolutely deadly for setting up a European cooperation.'
While cooperation was successful on nEUROn, 'we don't have that today on the NGF and I'm very sorry about that,' the executive said. He said Dassault finds itself alone against two partners, having to 'persuade even more in order to reach decisions. It just takes a little more time.'
Trappier said some FCAS partners such as Thales are leaders in the field of defense electronics due to France's history of seeking strategic autonomy, 'so when you implement the geo return at every phase, it's difficult.'
Meanwhile, when Dassault Aviation wants to work with German partners, certain technology derived from the Eurofighter is off-limits unless something 'high-level' is provided in return, according to Trappier.
'Well, that doesn't work. So we're constantly bumping into these difficulties of work share,' he told lawmakers.
Dassault Aviation makes France's Rafale fighter, while Airbus builds the Eurofighter in use in Germany and Spain. Both aircraft have roots in a multinational collaboration in the early 1980s on a future European fighter, with France opting to go it alone on the Rafale after disagreements over design authority and operational requirements.
France wants a next-generation aircraft capable of fulfilling the nuclear-deterrence role, able to perform its missions 'without any constraints from any foreign country whatsoever,' and anything else would be a reason to stop the FCAS program, according to Trappier. The French fighter also needs to be able to operate from an aircraft carrier.
Trappier said that if France chooses a path of mutual dependency with allies, 'there's no going back,' an argument that may resonate with French lawmakers attached to the country's policy of strategic autonomy in defense matters.
'We have to weigh what we are giving up to our allies, which may be normal in European cooperation and in a desire for European integration,' Trappier said. 'But that also means we will depend on each other.'
Trappier was asked whether Dassault could go it alone should the FCAS program fail, and be able to provide France with a stealth-capable aircraft within a reasonable time frame.
'I don't want to sound arrogant at all, but whose capabilities do I need other than my own to make a combat aircraft?' Trappier said. 'So I'm willing to cooperate and share. I'm not against it, but I'm the one with the skills.'
Trappier said the future fighter doesn't compete with the Rafale, which will operate alongside the new air combat system at some point. FCAS will be for beyond the 2040s, 'more like 2045,' the CEO said.
Dassault is working on the future F5 standard for Rafale for 2030-2035, with a focus on connectivity and networking, and plans for a stealthy combat drone based on nEUROn as a loyal wingman.
'What we are trying to look at next is how we could make a future combat aircraft. Who with, that's the question.'
The French state is committed to cooperation on FCAS to free up more resources and to contribute to 'a slightly more united Europe,' Trappier said. 'The problem is that when it comes down to the nitty gritty of the contracts, it's more complicated.'
'We will do the NGF, as for with who, that's not for me to answer,' Trappier said. 'That's up to the state, up to the politicians to say whether we should work with our traditional allies or not.'
He told lawmakers that if the future combat aircraft is produced as it is conceived today, with three partners, 'Rafale will seem cheap to you.'
France in January 2024 announced the purchase of 42 Rafale jets for more than €5 billion, or a cost of at least €119 million per aircraft.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in March he intends to order more Rafale fighters, with plans for two squadrons at the air base of Luxeuil-Saint-Saveur, which currently doesn't host the aircraft.
Trappier said Dassault would welcome additional French orders, though the company hasn't received any yet.
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