Spain joins France and Germany on new combat fighter
Spain will join a Franco-German project to build a new fighter plane to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale, the defence ministry said on 11 February 2019.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles will sign a letter of intent with her French and German counterparts on Thursday on the margins of a NATO meeting in Brussels, a spokesperson said.
The project launched in July 2017 is known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which in addition to a new combat aircraft also plans to include drones and cruise missiles.
The new fighter jet will replace the Eurofighter which is assembled in Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy, and the French Rafale around 2040.
It will compete with the US F-35 or its successor.
A first contract worth €65 million was awarded to Airbus and Dassault Aviation in February to develop the design of the combat system.
Spain, where Airbus’s military transport planes are assembled, had sent a letter in December to Paris and Berlin asking to be associated with the project.
The FCAS has a rival - Britain’s Tempest project which has been awarded to BAE Systems, and which Italy and the Netherlands have also joined.
In a December statement, Spain’s defence ministry said it was ‘convinced that the two programmes would end up merging, given the huge investment needed in their development.’
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Iran’s attacks on UAE have “accelerated” Edge’s plans, says company]()
Eurosatory 2026: Iran’s attacks on UAE have “accelerated” Edge’s plans, says company
The UAE’s Edge has undergone massive changes since it was formed in 2019, from acquisitions to partnerships, and has now set up a European division in Paris.
-
![US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps]()
US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps
Washington and Ottawa’s Arctic and homeland radar initiatives aim to strengthen early warning against cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and long-range aerospace threats approaching North America.
-
![The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement]()
The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement
European militaries face a rapidly evolving security landscape and defence production must accelerate to meet surging demand for platforms and equipment. Industry needs to adapt to ensure it gets its products into the hands of the end user, Evelyn Rafferty, Senior Director Aerospace and Defence - Europe at Plexus told Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan.
-
![Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP]()
Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP
The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.
-
![Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade]()
Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade
Today's rapidly changing security landscape means that armed forces can no longer treat their data in the same way as in the past. What are the key challenges they face, and how can industry help them?
-
![US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027]()
US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027
The House Armed Services Committee recently released the Chairman’s NDAA FY2027 markup, which supports the Pentagon’s request for nearly $90 billion for long-range missiles, air defence interceptors, precision-guided munitions and industrial baseline items.
