FCAS: Air Forces Reaffirm Their Need for a Future Combat Air System
The French Air Force insists it has no disagreement with its German and Spanish counterparts over the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. On the contrary, it explains why their needs are converging.
In a world evolving at breakneck speed amid technological upheavals, is the program launched ten years ago by Paris, Berlin, and Madrid for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) still relevant ? The French Air Force has no doubt about it.
This, in essence, was the message delivered by General Tardif, Deputy Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, during a meeting with the Defense Journalists Association. Industrial quarrels between Dassault and Airbus, he said, matter little.
According to him, the general staffs of the three air forces — German, French, and Spanish — share a truly common stance on the necessity of FCAS. This conviction has been strengthened by ongoing analyses of recent conflicts: in Ukraine, where the Russians have failed to establish air superiority, and in the Middle East, where the Israeli Air Force has demonstrated exemplary strength. Because Russia has not managed to deploy its air assets effectively, it is bogged down in a stalemated conflict, whereas Israel has regained the upper hand through air power, despite the proliferation of enemy air defenses.
Regaining Air Superiority
These analyses, first and foremost, compel Europe to rebuild its air power — with more fighter jets, more refueling aircraft, and more long-range strike capabilities. “But what these lessons mainly show,” explains the French Air Force’s number two, “is that it’s not enough to have strong air defenses — we must also possess offensive capabilities. That’s exactly what FCAS is about.” In other words, Germany’s “European Sky Shield” air defense initiative is necessary but not sufficient.
By 2035, the French Air Force plans to rely on the 5th version of the Rafale — “the equivalent of the first building block of the FCAS” — and on new aeroballistic missiles for deep strikes, including a new anti-radar missile, the RJ10, currently under development at MBDA. “By 2040, we will need the FCAS, capable of operating expendable drones (disposable, like the Russian Geran), decoy drones (for jamming, smoke, radar deception), and combat drones. From a military perspective, the needs of the three air forces are converging,” explains the general.
Converging Needs
According to him, as promised, the air forces reached an agreement last July on the empty weight of the future combat aircraft — a subject that had long divided them.
In a logic of aerial warfare facing the East, the Germans favor a fighter capable of carrying many drones into battle.
In a nuclear deterrence framework, the French argue for an agile aircraft able to take off from the future aircraft carrier.
These 2 visions had long prevented both the militaries and the manufacturers from converging on an ideal model for the next-generation fighter.
5 architectures were studied; 2 remained before the summer. Engine constraints further narrow the options. An agreement is said to have been reached on a weight of 15 to 16 tons. The chiefs of staff, who met again recently, reaffirmed this consensus.
For General Tardif, the military intentions remain aligned despite the industrial disputes between Dassault and Airbus. He acknowledges, however, that there may be differences between Paris and Berlin on timing — France being more pressed than its neighbor.
France wants to ensure continuity of its nuclear deterrent capability by 2040, whereas Germany, which will have U.S. F-35s capable of carrying American nuclear bombs, can afford to wait longer.
General Tardif reminds that the FCAS program goes far beyond the fighter itself: it is envisioned as a vast airborne information system, integrating a tactical cloud, drones, artificial intelligence, and enhanced connectivity between aerial platforms — a challenge of no small magnitude.
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