The billion-dollar Franco-German defence project to design a next-generation stealth combat jet has been given a deadline for the end of April as production enters a "decisive phase."
New Airbus fighter
A design concept for a new FCAS fighter.
On Tuesday defence ministers from the two countries met to discuss a deal on the future for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the European strategic defence programme, and some small issues with the stealth fighter that required clarification.
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During a visit to Paris, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer mentioned some finer details of the project production that still need to be ironed out, such as engine development and legal issues.
At a press conference covering the event, she described the production of the jet as having entered a "decisive phase."
"We as politicians expect the industry to jointly find a viable basis which we can accept," she added.
If the hitches are ironed out and the deadline is met, full-scale production can begin in earnest.
The first prototype of the FCAS jet, "the Demonstrator," was first unveiled in Berlin back in 2018.
It was presented by then-German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has since ascended to the European Commission presidency.
Spain is also involved with the project, joining some time after its initial conception.
Progress on construction had been halted by questions on how to split responsibility for its production as well as in the certification of intellectual property rights for the technologies used in the plane.
A deal was eventually reached by Airbus and Dassault in 2018 over the development of the next-generation jet.
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The first test flights for the jet are scheduled to commence in 2026 and current plans involve the jet becoming fully operational by 2040.
At the event, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said: "We both think the same thing: we need a deal by the end of April and I am confident we can get there together."
The FCAS project will oversee the production of a number of high-tech aerospace project, from drones to satellites.
Dassault is specifically working on the jet aspect of the project, while Airbus is expected to handle the development of drones and a new, ultra-fast cloud combat system that will harness artificial intelligence to "level up" aerial combat.
However, French authorities have warned the project must speed up if it is to meet its 2040 deadline. It is likely many of the technologies that will be present in the jet's systems in its completed form are either rudimentary by comparison or have still to be developed.
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Kramp-Karrenbauer has revealed there is the added pressure for the German ministry to ramp up production of the jet as a deal will have to be hashed out before the elections in September.
Berlin is expected to have decided on the next stage of the project before the next election cycle.
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