New Airbus fighter
The new Airbus fighter
The European strategic defence programme, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) has taken a major step forward following an agreement between Safran Aircraft Engines and MTU Aero Engines to partner on the development on the Next Generation Fighter engine.
The agreement is based on a Letter of Intent which was signed in February 2019 by both companies which stated that Safran would take the lead on engine design and integration, and MTU would take the lead in engine services.
In the framework of the contractual scheme as defined by France and Germany, Safran will be the prime contractor and MTU the main partner for the first phase of Research and Technology.
The companies also agreed on the creation of a 50/50 joint venture, to be incorporated by the end of 2021, which will manage the development, production and after-sales support of the new engine that will power the Next Generation Fighter.
“This agreement is a major step forward, which reflects Safran Aircraft Engines and MTU Aero Engines’ willingness to ensure a strong and effective management of the program relying on a balanced partnership and clear accountabilities,” jointly stated Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines, and Michael Schreyögg, Chief Program Officer of MTU Aero Engines. “Safran and MTU are committed to supply the Forces with an innovative engine architecture which will be a key asset of their operational performances.”
Previously named the Future Offensive Air System, the FCAS project stems from an Anglo-Franco Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2012, which stated that France would join the UK RAF's latest programme for unmanned strike capacity.
In April 2018, it was announced that the planned Next Generation Fighter aircraft which are to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale fighter aircraft for the FCAS project, would be co-developed and produced by Airbus and Dassault Aviation. Spain announced in June this year that it had joined the FCAS project and that its F-18 Hornet fighters would also be replaced.
Also part of the programme, in July 2018 BAE Systems unveiled the Tempest as the planned next generation RAF fighter.
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