The Future Combat Air System’s long-awaited approval has now been granted, and Germany, France, and Spain are working together to develop the new generation of aircraft and its technology. Airbus, which is well-known in the commercial aircraft sector, and Dassault, which is well-known for its expertise in the production of private jets and fighter jet aircraft, are leading the effort.

The US has already stated that it will launch its 6th gen first fighter jet within the next eight years, and the UK, Japan, and China have joined forces to develop a winning version of the aircraft. China and Russia are also vying for the lead in the development of similar technologies that improve national security.

Airbus has confirmed that it will work with France, Germany, and Spain to build the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).(Opens in a new browser tab)

By utilizing the networked capabilities of pooled platforms, FCAS, a combat system of systems, will deliver escalating effects, bringing the next level of air power to severely restricted situations. The next-generation weapon system, which pairs next-generation fighters with remote carriers as force multipliers, is the foundation of FCAS.

Additionally, while being completely compatible with allied forces across domains from the land to the cyber, manned and unmanned platforms will also contribute their specialness to the collective capabilities. The networked capabilities of all pooled platforms can be used by the air combat cloud.

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FCAS project, which is expected to cost around $100 billion, will be among the most expensive programs in European history. Due to the lead and profit share, Dassault and Airbus initially had some internal issues with this project. However, they have since all negotiated to a standard agreement, which will be advantageous to the entire European Union.

The 6th fighter jet will be created in collaboration with France, Germany, and Spain. The first flight of the aircraft is scheduled for 2027, and it will be introduced in 2040.

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A Next-Generation Weapon System and other air assets will make up the FCAS in the operational battlespace of the future. The New Generation Fighter, a sixth-generation jet fighter, will be one of the NGWS’s components. It will replace existing France’s Rafales, Germany’s Typhoons, and Spain’s EF-18 Hornets by about 2040.

Dassault will be the NGF’s primary contractor, and Airbus will be in charge of developing the system’s supporting combat cloud and auxiliary remote-carrying vehicles. It will fly from the future aircraft carrier of the French Navy and be carrier-capable as well. While MTU Aero Engines will serve as the primary partner for the initial phase of research and technology, Safran Aircraft Engines will serve as the prime contractor for the next-generation fighter aircraft engine, assuming the lead in engine design and integration.

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Airbus is also developing a novel modular design for a heavily equipped “heavy loyal wingman” that will be used as a component of the larger Future Combat Air System. Three replaceable radar payloads for air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic attacks are available on the heavy RC. A variety of weapons or effectors, as well as jamming pods, can be stored inside a weapons bay.

The majority of the aircraft and wingmen are highly advanced and attack the zone in coordinated formations with the aid of satellite and solar-powered surveillance aircraft, which keep track of the enemy activities and send information to the coordinated zones and update the details during the battle time.

In addition, the same wingman’s internal bay can carry a variety of weapons, including MBDA meteor and beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. The frontal section of the loyal wingman designs can be seen with the radar section, which could be used for the necessary actions to set the target identification. Joint direct attack munitions GBU 54 are used.

Airbus is already developing numerous autonomous aircraft for commercial and military use, which will be a ground-breaking innovation in the region of Europe. The addition of such technology will lower pilot fatalities and boost automation in the defense industry.

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