This is a very good idea of France and Germany. The two countries want to develop “a combat system european air”, under their direction, to replace the “long-term” their “fleets current combat aircraft”, on Thursday announced the Elysée palace, at the end of a Board of franco-German ministers. However, Paris will have to protect the French manufacturers, who have real skill that are well above those of German industry. This is an area of excellence of French industry with Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran and the 500 SMES that contribute to the Burst.
Interviewed Wednesday on BFM Business, the CEO of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier wants co-operation-performance”. How ? “it is necessary to give the work to those who know how to do, and aggregate teams behind”. According to Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation is “ready tomorrow to co-operate with others, provided that one makes a program that is based on cooperation performance”. He recalled the aircraft manufacturer, the French had experience of the Rafale,which is a program for “ultra-efficient”.
“How can we build future cooperation more effective, based on a unique need and not on the different needs with leadership skills to be able to be as effective as the Americans, is questioned Eric Trappier. It can be. We, we have the experience to Burst, it’s a little bit all alone in France, so it’s ultra-efficient”.
And what of franco-british relations on the drone fight for the future ? In November 2014, Paris and London had given the kick-off to industrial studies for a future drone air combat franco-british at the horizon 2030. Dassault Aviation and BAE Systems are going to cooperate on this project qualified as “historic”. France and the United Kingdom have also announced that in march 2016 jointly invest more than € 2 billion to develop drones aerial combat of the new generation. They hope to have the devices operational by 2025.
A road map expected by mid-2018
“The two partners want to develop a joint roadmap by mid-2018”, said the French presidency. “It is a profound revolution, but we are not afraid of revolutions when they are conducted in a peaceful manner, built and in the long term,” underlined the president and Emmanuel Macron, during a joint press conference with German chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Our wish is indeed to be able to have a new generation of combat aircraft have in common.” “These projects are very heavy, heavy for our two militaries and our two governments, and which then must be exported. Today, we find ourselves with large-scale projects, too many standards and qualification at european level and, sometimes, intra-european competition to carry them to the international”, said Emmanuel Macron. “The purpose of this fighter plane common to a new generation, it is first to launch the research and development common to be able to prepare together, and then use it jointly in our two armed forces -according to our own doctrines of employment, we do not have the same and it will remain – and also to allow, through a coordination work that we’re doing, we coordinate the export on this topic,” continued the Head of the French State.
“I welcome this project,” said Angela Merkel, stressing also the “other projects, including the Eurodrones where France and Germany is heavily involved”, the cooperation in the field of satellite, the co-operation of digital and cyber security. According to the Elysée, France and Germany agree also “to put in place a framework of cooperation for the next standard of the Tiger helicopter, as well as for a joint programme of tactical missiles air-to-ground”.
New projects in cooperation
The two nations have also referred to the creation, under the impetus of the former minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian, a “unit binational military transport aircraft C-130J”, in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement signed in Berlin on 10 April. France and Germany also continue their collaboration on a major system of land combat, and a common system of indirect fire of the new generation, that will be open to other european countries where these projects are sufficiently developed. After the successful completion of the study phase bilateral, a roadmap will be established by mid-2018 for the next step”, according to the Elysée.
The two countries also “stressed the importance of the principle of the pursuit of their common participation in the program Eurodrone alongside Spain and Italy,” according to the same source. The Defense ministers of the French and German will meet in October and December 2017, in order to assess the progress of the joint actions mentioned”.
