The German deputies validated on Wednesday the project of the future European combat aircraft, supposed to replace Rafale and Eurofighter in the long term and give a new dynamic to the Europe of defense, but with certain conditions.
At the end of several months of political-industrial rivalries between Germany and France, the members of the Bundestag Budget Committee have given their approval to the release of 77 million euros in appropriations to launch the first major stage of the Franco project – German, to which Spain joined.
The majority elected – conservative and social democratic – voted for it, as did the far right. Environmentalists, the far left voted against it.
This windfall should make it possible to finance, on an equal basis between France and Germany, studies with a view to the construction by 2026 of a demonstrator of the new generation European combat aircraft (known as the NGF or “New Generation Fighter “).
The amounts involved are certainly limited compared to the overall envelope of the program, but Wednesday’s step was essential, a negative vote likely to call everything into question.
reluctance
According to several parliamentary sources interviewed by AFP, the device arouses reluctance, however.
“We are going to do it because we do not want to deteriorate Franco-German relations, and this just before the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron this weekend in Germany for the Munich Security Conference“, explained before the vote the rapporteur of the project to the Budget Committee, Rainer Brandl.
But German elected officials, who from the start fear that French industrial partners are too dominant in the project, have set conditions.
In particular, they want another major Franco-German military project, the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) tank program, in which the Germans must be leaders, to progress at the same rate as that of the aircraft of the future. .
Both projects must move forward “in parallel“, indicates a resolution also voted on Wednesday on the subject.
“The fighter plane program, piloted by the French, is progressing quickly, while that of the tank is lagging behind“, deciphered to AFP a German parliamentarian on condition of anonymity. In question in particular: the difficulties of German industrialists in the arms sector to agree among themselves on the distribution of the” cake “.
MEPs also asked for guarantees so that the interests of German technology companies are better taken into account in the development of the project.
The plane, which is to enter into action around 2040, is the centerpiece of the SCAF (Future Air Combat System) program, which also combines drones and future cruise missiles.
The positive vote opens the way to the notification of contracts to manufacturers involved in the project, notably Dassault, Airbus or even Thales. And relaunches a program that was skating.
“Green lights”
The French Minister for the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, welcomed the passage of this “crucial step“The lights are green to develop a prototype fighter plane that will fly in 2026,” said the minister on Twitter who had put pressure on German parliamentarians on February 5 in Strasbourg.
Paris and Berlin have the “responsibility“from”build this Defense Europe“she launched, stressing that the vote of the Bundestag deputies would send a”strong political signal“.”Cooperation between equals does not mean unmanned cooperation“, she also warned.
The project had already cleared an obstacle in December with the agreement reached between the French engine manufacturers Safran and German MTU on the industrial distribution of the development work on the engine of the future aircraft.
In a first phase, Safran would be a pilot and MTU the main partner before the creation “by the end of 2021“of a 50/50 joint company.
Since the distribution of tasks between Safran and MTU, several players on the German side, including members of the Bundestag, have sought to reverse their favor over this agreement.
“Behind the barbaric name of ‘SCAF’ hides the project that conditions the future of French and European combat aeronautics, as well as the assertion of a defense policy to strengthen the security of the continent“, recently underlined Jean-Pierre Maulny, deputy director of the Institute of strategic international relations (Iris).
The subject should be raised on Saturday in Munich by Mr. Macron, who has just proposed that Europeans, Germany in particular, be associated with the French nuclear deterrent force, for example by participating in exercises.
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