Despite international cooperation, Europe’s sixth-gen fighter jets, face delays and rivalries. As global powers race ahead, Japan’s growing urgency and Europe’s fragmented efforts could hamper long-term competitiveness.
In March, Boeing was awarded a contract to develop the F-47, the centerpiece system of systems developed as part of the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for the contract, while Northrop Grumman had previously exited. The F-47 will be the sixth-generation manned fighter that could be supported by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including the now-in-development Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
However, Boeing is far from the only aerospace firm actively working on a sixth-generation fighter, as it is believed that China, Russia, and India may be developing their respective aircraft. Then there are the two competing programs underway in Europe. What is noteworthy about each of these is that the firms didn’t compete for national contracts, instead coming together as international coalitions.
One reason is that most of Europe’s nations don’t have multiple aircraft manufacturers; instead, one firm has taken on a dominant role. The aerospace industry, being smaller, has historically relied on collaboration and consolidation to compete effectively in the global market.
Yet, instead of collaborating, the two programs continue, and each has faced some turbulence.
What Is the FCAS?
The Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) almost seemed destined to follow the pattern of past Franco-German tank programs, where collaboration started quickly, only for the program to collapse. The historic adversaries may be allies today, but a partnership had seemed out of reach.
There has been internal strife over technology sharing between Dassault Aviation, based in France, and Airbus, based in Germany. However, as of last month, the program appears to be back on track. While it may be too early to suggest it is stronger than ever, it is undoubtedly in a better position than it was just a year ago.
Dassault Aviation will lead the design and development of the New Generation Fighter (NGF) demonstrator.
“Our project is progressing with ambition,” Brigadier General Philippe Koffi, head of NGWS/FCAS for France’s DGA defense procurement body, said during the Royal Aeronautical Society’s FCAS Summit in London last month, aviation trade publication Flight Global reported.
“Two years after the launch of Phase 1B, we have already built a robust and dynamic industrial ecosystem,” Koffi added, noting that there are now approximately 144 companies supporting the supply chain for the FCAS program, with more than 3,000 engineers involved in the project.
“It demonstrates that it is a program rooted in technology excellence,” said Koffi. “But it is not only about building momentum: it is also about delivering.”
Why Is the FCAS Competing with the GCAP?
Even as the FCAS appears to be on better footing, new issues may arise with the competing British-led Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), which evolved from the Tempest program. The UK-Italian-Japanese program has a lead over FCAS. Still, it was reported this month that Tokyo may be growing impatient in developing a replacement for its aging F-2 fighters.
The timeline had called for the new optionally manned fighter to enter service by the middle of the 2030s, but the maiden flight for the first demonstrator has been pushed back to 2027 and could slip even further. That has “alarmed Japanese officials and defense analysts,” The South China Morning Post reported.
Although the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) operates the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and will employ the fifth-generation fighter on its converted Izumo-class multipurpose warships, which are essentially de facto aircraft carriers, Tokyo may be rightfully concerned that it could fall significantly behind China’s capabilities. Japan will only slowly receive the F-35 over the coming years.
At the same time, Beijing has domestically developed two different fifth-generation fighters: the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon and Shenyang J-35, with the latter evolving from the FC-31 Gyrfalcon. China is also reportedly developing two stealth bombers that could enter service by the decade’s end, while its sixth-generation J-36 fighter has already been spotted in test flights.
The good news for Tokyo is that European Union recently approved the joint venture between the UK’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo, and the Japanese Aircraft Industrial Co. Ltd. That cleared the way for the project to move forward, which was required as the UK is now outside the EU and limits are set on cooperation with British-based companies.
There had been past speculation that the programs could merge in the future, but that seems unlikely to happen, given the turbulence over timelines and the key capabilities of the respective aircraft. It would be challenging for more companies involved in the program to accelerate their efforts.
Yet, even if the two sixth-generation programs don’t merge, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has called for great interoperability with current programs.
“Those include initiatives around the enabling combat clouds, datalinks, and communications systems, which will be required to work together,” Flight Global also reported.
The final takeaway is that the US may have a monopoly on fifth-generation aircraft with the F-35; however, it will be a very different ball game for the sixth generation.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/U.S. Air Force graphic.
