Germany is set to announce the end of its FCAS/SCAF program at the Berlin Air Show after failing to reach an agreement with France on the industrial front.
According to French and German media, France and Germany are expected to announce the end of the Future Combat Air System/FCAS/SCAF program at the upcoming ILA Berlin 2026. The program was first announced at ILA Berlin in 2018 as a joint project between France and Germany, with Spain officially joining in 2020.
According to tribuneGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to announce the end of the program at the opening ceremony of the Berlin Air Show, acknowledging serious disagreements over the governance of the program between Airbus and Dassault Aviation. that Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung It said this was a conclusion shared by Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron after the companies involved failed to find common ground.
Both leaders have attempted to preserve the program, which is seen as Europe’s most important defense cooperation project. However, mediation efforts failed because Dassault wanted a greater share of the work, while Airbus wanted an equal share.
These inconsistencies resulted in the program remaining in Phase 1B technology development, which was scheduled to lead to Phase 2, which involved the development and production of a demonstrator aircraft. The initial goal was to begin flight testing of the demonstrator in 2026 and field the next-generation fighter in 2040, but that schedule has already slipped to at least 2045.
The decision to end the program was reportedly taken at the EU-Balkan summit in Montenegro last week, where Merz and Macron met separately from the event to discuss the matter. But both leaders decided to continue developing drone systems and associated data networks.
FCAS/SCAF
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Système de Combat Aérien Futur (SCAF) is a sixth-generation stealth fighter designed to replace the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon. The program was first announced in 2018, and a mock-up was unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2019.
Airbus describes it as a network-based system of systems that integrates next-generation fighter aircraft, unmanned MALE drones (medium altitude, long endurance), current aircraft fleets, cruise missiles and drone swarms. The Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS) is intended to be the core of the FCAS, consisting of the NGF, a remote aircraft carrier, and an air warfare cloud.
The timeline projects the initial demonstrator phase to begin in 2020, with demonstrator development to begin in 2021, leading to flight testing in 2026-2027. Initial production is scheduled for 2035, and the aircraft is expected to enter service in 2040, five years later than other European sixth-generation aircraft under development as part of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP).
The Rafale and Typhoon will also benefit from FCAS developments, gaining new technologies that are fully integrated and interoperable with FCAS’ air combat cloud and artificial intelligence. It can also operate with remote carrier, armed and surveillance drones controlled by 6th generation aircraft.
In 2020, the Spanish industry signed an initial framework agreement for FCAS. Airbus will lead the Spanish industry effort for the New Generation Fighter (NGF) demonstrator and will be the main contractor for the Low Observability development.
Companies participating in the FCAS demonstration at that time include:
- In the next-generation fighter demonstration led by Dassault Aviation, Airbus D&S SAU is a key partner together with Airbus D&S GmbH.
- On the engine demonstrator, Safran Aircraft Engines is the main contractor with ITP Aero and MTU Aero Engines as key partners.
- In the Remote Carriers Demonstrator led by Airbus D&S GmbH, SATNUS (a consortium consisting of GMV, SENER Aeroespacial and TECNOBIT) is a key partner together with MBDA.
- In the Systems/Combat Cloud Demonstrator System led by Airbus D&S GmbH, Indra is a key partner together with Thales.
- On the Joint Inter-demonstrator Consistency/Simulation Laboratory (JIPC/SIMLAB) demonstration, Indra is a co-contractor with Dassault and Airbus D&S GmbH.
- In the sensor demonstrator, Indra is the main contractor and Thales and Germany’s FCMS are the main partners.
- In the Low Observable Technologies (ELOT) demonstrator, Airbus D&S SAU is the main contractor, with Dassault and Airbus D&S GmbH as key partners.
inconsistency
Soon, disagreements emerged between Dassault and Airbus, especially regarding the leadership of the program. This has led to a delay in the fielding date, currently expected to be 2045.
In 2025, German media reported that Dassault judged that it had the technical expertise and capabilities necessary for NGF design and requested 80% of the work distribution. This emerged following a feasibility report in which the company is expected to provide recommendations on various aspects of the programme.
Airbus, on the other hand, demanded that the program’s initial agreement, which called for equal distribution of work-sharing between the companies involved, be respected. As mentioned earlier, Airbus represented both German and Spanish industries.
