The full-scale mockup of the pan-European Next Generation Fighter (NGF) outside Hall 2A at the Paris Airshow is the same one unveiled here four years ago. Does that signify a lack of progress? Some would say yes, after all the subsequent controversy about design leadership and who does what. But that issue got settled late last year, with Dassault confirmed as design leader rather than Airbus and various other accommodations involving Indra, MTU, Safran, and Thales also agreed.
The NGF is part of a Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF)—or Future Combat Air System (FCAS) in English. France, Germany, and Spain serve as the partner countries. This FCAS must not be confused with the other FCAS led by the UK and supported by Italy and Japan, of which Tempest is the combat aircraft element. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the U.S. works on its own FCAS, the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project.
In all three programs, the system concept continues to evolve. But one key element will involve "remote carriers"—small UAVs for electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and ground attack, some of which might be expendable and likely will be launched from combat aircraft such as the NGF or Tempest.
At a recent Royal Aeronautical Society conference in London, Major General Jean-Luc Moritz, chief of FCAS for the French air force, said that the remote carriers should first integrate with legacy fighters such as the Rafale. He said that 11 “operational vignettes” for FCAS had been projected, covering not only the obvious missions such as offensive counter-air, deep strike, and so on but also short-field operations and how to deploy. The French require the NGF to be carrier-capable because a new warship will be built to replace the Charles De Gaulle.
The Airbus-Dassault pact allowed the three participating governments to release funds for Phase 1B of the project. That will last for about three years, during which time the NGF demonstrators will be designed. Phase 2 should be awarded in early 2026 and include first flights of the demonstrators in 2029. The third phase should start in 2030.
According to a summary of FCAS by the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA), the entry into service of operational systems will happen “by 2040.” But after a press conference here yesterday, Dassault Aviation president and CEO Eric Trappier called that date “out of the question” because of its complex nature. Some time between 2042 and 2044 is more likely, he added.
The recently-released French government defense spending plan to develop a further upgrade to Dassault's Rafale fighter likely influenced his opinion. That F5 standard would not enter service until at least 2030. Moreover, this 2024-2030 plan now also includes funding for the development of an unmanned combat air system (UCAS), building on the successful Neuron demonstration program, which ended a few years ago. Trappier said that the new UCAS would not form part of FCAS “for the moment.” But Dassault was prepared to consider partners, provided they could bring tangible benefits. The Neuron project included Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, the UK-led FCAS program is moving faster, with full-scale development projected to start in 2025 and entry into service of the Tempest airframe 10 years later. Plenty of observers have shown disappointment that two similar but rival programs have gotten underway in Europe. It seems too late to merge them now, but Moritz told the London conference that he has a dream that must surely be realized in the interests of cohesive Western airpower: “That the NGF, Tempest, NGAD, and Rafale can operate together.”