By Tim Hepher
PARIS (Reuters) -French warplane maker Dassault Aviation raised questions over the future of a Franco-German-Spanish fighter jet project on Tuesday in a growing feud with Europe’s Airbus over control of the futuristic program that combines traditional warplanes with automated drones.
CEO Eric Trappier said the Future Combat Air System, widely known under its French initials SCAF, needed clearer leadership and organisation as partners move towards a second phase that calls for a flying model to prove its cutting-edge technology.
SCAF is one of several so-called sixth-generation fighter projects expected to combine traditional crewed warplanes with a cohort of uncrewed and armed drones. Britain is working on a similar proposal with Italy and Japan known as GCAP.
Dassault, which builds France’s Rafale warplanes, is in charge of efforts to come up with designs for the core fighter, one of several “pillars” in the hugely complex SCAF project.
Trappier said that in practice, decisions over key parts of the current design phase were having to be cleared with Airbus, adding complexity and contributing to delays.
“They say Dassault is the leader but that all decisions must be taken between three (countries),” Trappier said at a half-yearly earnings conference.
Airbus, which represents both Germany and Spain in the project with Dassault backed by France, declined comment.
Asked if Dassault was threatening to leave the SCAF project, Trappier indicated the programme’s wider future was at stake.
“It is not a question of leaving SCAF but of deciding if it continues or not,” he said.
However, he strongly denied reports that Dassault was seeking 80% control.
Dassault and Airbus, two historic European industry rivals called on to work together after French President Emmanuel Macron and then German Chancellor Angela Merkel launched the initiative in 2017, have squabbled repeatedly over handling of the project to replace current warplanes by 2040.
The latest comments came on the eve of a Berlin summit between Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that are expected to touch on the status of the defence project, according to a French presidential adviser and industry sources.
Airbus Defence & Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn told the Paris Air Forum last month that governance had been agreed and that Airbus, a leading partner in the Eurofighter Typhoon, had a history of successful cooperation with other defence firms.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by GV De Clercq and David Gregorio)
