Air Force
The working groups of the three nations are already searching for
answers to some of these questions. European air forces need
the NGWS to be a multi-mission system, capable of acting in all
aspects of air combat and operating both from their airbases and
deployment bases, or even from ships. Similarly, it must be able
to work in conjunction with the systems currently in service, so
that they can integrate their capabilities into the NGWS. The future
combat air system will not only provide a new generation platform
to replace the Eurofighter in Spain and Germany and the Rafale in
France, but will interact with them and with their future modernized
versions, as well as with other major air, land, maritime, space and
cyber programmes currently in the development and acquisition
process.
The best way to deal with the next generation of aerospace
combat capabilities will be by combining manned platforms that will
operate in conjunction with a wide variety of unmanned systems
and elements. A combat management system assisted by artificial
intelligence will help obtain the necessary information to make the
decision-making process and implementation of operations faster
and more efficient. The information will also be accurately distributed
by communications networks, while maintaining the human element
in the decision-making process.
As for the milestones that are being
reached, after the cooperation treaty
signed by Germany and France on
January 31, 2019, both nations signed
the contract of the first Franco-German
conceptual study, which Spain has now
joined. In October 2019, a multinational
project team with French, German and
Spanish experts was established in
Paris to precisely define the requirements of the NGWS and its
demonstrators. The first research and technology phase is about
to begin, with a view to having the fighter jet demonstrator available
on schedule in 2026, thus achieving the common goal of reaching
a first operational capability in 2040.
We, the Chiefs of the three Air Forces are paving the way for
the success of a system that will actually be born in 20 years.
Meetings are being held periodically to ensure compliance with
common operational requirements. Within this framework, we
have also agreed to help national capability planning processes to
converge as much as possible to optimize resources, starting with
everything related to connectivity. In this regard, we plan to sign
a trilateral document in common agreement on this matter in the
next ILA Berlin Air Show in May 2020.
The NGWS/FCAS programme will also enable close cooperation
between national industries and their air forces, which is key to
ensure the competitiveness of European air power. At a time
like the present, our continent should step up efforts to stimulate
Europe’s integration and strategic vision through multinational
collaboration.
We are convinced that this European
cooperation is not only a significant con-tribution
to NATO’s and the EU’s national
defence capabilities, but also the best
possible way to preserve European inde-pendence
in key defence technologies,
providing our air forces and nations with
the best systems to face and overcome
future threats in the competitive and com-plex
aerospace domain. L
Cooperation
is the best way
to preserve
independence in
key technologies
April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 45