Belgium is expected to join the flagship Future Combat Air System (FCAS) to build the next-generation European fighter jets ‘in a few weeks as an observer nation, the country’s defence minister told Euractiv.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is a European fighter jet programme under development by French Dassault Aviation, German Airbus and Spanish Indra Sistemas and one of the largest collaborative armament projects on the continent.
FCAS fighter jets are expected to take to the skies in 2040 to replace the French Rafale and Germany’s and Spain’s Eurofighter Typhoons. Germany and France inked a framework agreementin 2017, with Spain joining by 2020.
The tri-national program meant to build a new fighter jet for Europe is a decisive step towards more European defence cooperation when developing new systems.
“Belgium will be ready to confirm its observer status to the FCAS programme in a few weeks” and team up with France, Germany, and Spain, Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder told Euractiv.
As an observer nation, the country and its industry are not part of the decision-making for the program but are sharing information to prepare for further collaboration with the partners, a practice common during the research and development phases of such programs.
Belgium’s next step towards full participation will last another six months.
Dedonder’s comments came after Brussels announced in June it would work to get the position of ‘observer’ to the project as a first step towards full participation.
Her announcement only six months later shows Belgium and its industry’s commitment to be part of the joint construction of Europe’s future next-generation system of fighter jets.
At the same time, the European defence market is looking towards two sixth-generation aircraft programmes – the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS) and the British-led Tempest fighter project. Pressure has been mounting on EU member states to pick sides for some time.
To become an ‘observer’ of the FCAS, the national industries spent the last months in internal discussions, as well as with the French, Germans and Spaniards, to see where their added value could be and be allowed to join the development of the FCAS formally at a later stage.
The Belgians “must negotiate for a space in the programme”, one source with knowledge of the file told Euractiv.
France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus are set to build the fighter jet, while France’s Safran and Germany’s MTU Aero Engines will jointly develop the new warplane’s engine. Spain’s Indra is contributing with its radar technology.
Tough negotiations to come
The Belgian Council of Ministers will be presented with a follow-up of the negotiations during the first quarter of 2024, according to Euractiv’s information.
The body is expected to give the green light, permitting Belgium to officially join the programme as an observer and argue for its industry’s place in the project.
When the Belgian government said it was interested in joining as an observer, industry representatives talked to “say what they can build, where they can fit into the jet’s project, and the other participants have to agree to it,” a source with knowledge of the file told Euractiv.
During the six months after it gets the observer status, Belgium and the other three countries will have to work out the tricky details of labour division.
A dispute over the division of labour between French Dassault and German Airbus to best reflect each company’s best capabilities stalled the project for a year.
The programme has entered the 1B phase, meaning industries have started working on the demonstrator of the plane, which they aim to present in 2027.
Belgium’s move to join the FCAS now could give the largely dormant FCAS programme a new push as participants spent years battling over each industry and country’s share of the workload.
Showtime for SMEs
The small country is the home of a few large aerospace companies, such as Sonaca or Orizio, but also rests on a large array of small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs).
“The selected companies may be large industries, but also SMEs, which produce high technology components,” Dedonder also said.
National industries have experience in major capacity development, as it contributed to the A400M cargo plane and US-made F-16 fighter jets and its maintenance.
Once Belgium is an observer, the country can still decide not to proceed with becoming a full-fledged programme member.
However, Alexander De Croo’s government’s investment of €1,8 billion on research and development, while the previous one dedicated €800 million, shows commitment to step up investment.
For Belgium, “participating in the FCAS programme would benefit the national aerospace industry’s economy with long-term visibility in orders and production, and with developing expertise in the sector”, Dedonder told Euractiv.
[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski]
(Aurélie Pugnet | Euractiv.com)
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Source: euractiv.com
