Future Combat Air System (FCAS) clear the way for the continuation of the programme

Berlin, 18 November 2022 – After intensive negotiations, industrial agreements for the next programme phase could now be reached on FCAS. Parallel to these industrial negotiations, it was also confirmed at the highest government level that a cooperative approach on an equal footing would be pursued in the project for which France had overall responsibility.

“The political agreement on FCAS is a great step and – especially in these times – an important sign of the excellent German-French-Spanish cooperation. It strengthens Europe’s military capabilities and secures important know-how for our industry, but also for that of Europe. On the way towards the airborne forces of the future in Europe, it shows once again that we can only master the enormous challenges together,” said Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht in Berlin today.

Background:

The Federal Ministry of Defence today informed the Parliament about the conclusion of the industrial negotiations and the political agreement at the highest government level. These are a prerequisite for the continuation of the German-French-Spanish programme Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS) and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). Since the signing of the third intergovernmental implementation agreement on August 30, 2021 in Paris, the industry has been negotiating various aspects of contract design. With the conclusion of the political talks, the way is clear for the signing of the industrial contracts. For Germany, this means that the necessary steps can now be taken in order to be able to present the documents to the Budget Committee for information in a timely manner.

Source: German MoD

Unofficial translation by EDR On-Line