Those in Germany warn of a possible bankruptcy of the FCAS
Why a crisis of industrial cooperation between France and Germany on FCAS could turn into a crisis of European integration according to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs
There are still knots to be solved for the FCAS (Future Air Combat System) project.
The FCAS program, announced by the governments of France and Germany in 2017, will provide the next level of air power by creating a system of manned and unmanned platforms with full operational capability expected by 2040. Meanwhile, Spain has also joined the program.
“The differences between Paris and Berlin risk shattering a flagship project of arms cooperation, the air combat system of the future. If it fails, Europe risks paying a heavy price ", warned Claudia Major, an analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Swp), who launched an appeal from the columns of Le Monde last November, heard in recent days. from the newspaper Repubblica .
The advice of the German study center German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) is mainly aimed at the German government and the Bundestag, as well as international organizations such as the European Union, NATO and the United Nations, as stated on their website .
However, issues of intellectual property, task sharing and leadership for the FCAS program still remain to be resolved.
And this stalemate risks undermining the project and, in the event of failure, it is Europe that risks paying a heavy price, warns the Swp think tank.
All the details.
WHAT POINT IS THE FCAS
At the heart of this aircraft system of the future (FCAS) is the sixth generation fighter that will replace the current Rafale and Eurofighter.
Competing with the Franco-German-Spanish program will be the Tempest project, an air combat system of the future designed by the United Kingdom with Italy and Sweden.
The delay between the presentation of the scale model at the Paris Air Show in June 2019 and the award of Phase 1A contracts (which starts the demonstration phase) in February 2020 was due to the German legislation according to which any defense-related project with a higher cost the EUR 25 million is subject to separate approval by the Bundestag Budget Committee.
THE INDUSTRIES INVOLVED
The contracts awarded by France and Germany have been extended to Dassault Aviation, Airbus, MTU Aero Engines, Safran, Mbda and Thales.
THE ROUTE
After signing the € 150 million research and technology contract in February 2020 , France and Germany must approve the Phase 1B contract to develop and produce a demonstrator, which is expected to fly in 2026. There aren't many dates left for the Bundestag to review. the contract for the start of phase 1B.
As La Tribune reported, there are theoretically only two free dates left, April 14 and 21, to review the FCAS program.
THE BALL GOES TO THE MINISTERS OF DEFENSE
Finding the square is therefore up to the two defense ministers of France and Germany, Florence Parly and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. They must "very quickly create the conditions that allow this dossier to be brought before the Bundestag, in particular the Committee on Budgets".
THE ROLE OF THE BUNDESTAG THAT IRRITATES PARIS
According to Claudia Major of the SWP, it is precisely “the decisive role of the Bundestag that particularly irritates Paris. Indeed, the latter cannot release the development funds paid by Germany for FCAS without proof that the project is proceeding. The Bundestag therefore decided to authorize the payment of these funds tranche by tranche, and this after the fulfillment of the conditions defined by the deputies. In France, this procedure is often perceived as a lack of trust, as if Berlin is trying to control the French partner ”.
And the Bundestag tries to support the demands of German industrialists, especially Airbus.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FRANCE AND GERMANY
In addition, "although the project is wanted by the Chancellery, defense is not a priority" underlines the researcher of the German study center. “It is very different in Paris, where Europe, defense and geopolitics are priorities driven by the Elysée. In France, the state plays a considerable role in the arms industry, which remains economically important. It is considered a key element in preserving national sovereignty and worthy of protection. On the German side, this sector is largely private and economically insignificant. Furthermore, it suffers from an ambivalent, not to say negative, reputation, and politicians prefer to keep their distance ”.
There are also national differences in Major highlights on Le Monde . "If in France the Directorate General for Armaments manages the project, in Germany the ministries of the economy, defense and the Federal Chancellery must coordinate with the Parliament – the Bundestag – and private industry" making everything very complicated.
ACCORDING TO THE GERMAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY AFFAIRS (SWP)
Therefore, it is the SWP study center which has been providing advice to the Bundestag and the federal government on all matters relating to foreign and security policy since 1962, putting the complications of the program on a German level on paper.
The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Swp) is a foundation that aims to "conduct academic research in the fields of international policy and foreign and security policy, in consultation with the German Bundestag and the German government, with the aim to provide independent research-based policy advice and publish results where appropriate ”. To this end, the Foundation maintains the German Institute for International Affairs and Security. It does not provide funding for external projects. The bodies of the Foundation are the Council and the Board. In order to acquire expertise for its research projects, the Council, in consultation with the Board, appoints a Research Advisory Committee.
The Chairman of the Board of the Swp Study Center is Nikolaus von Bomhard, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Munich Re.
THE DAMAGE TO THE EU CAUSED BY THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE PROJECT
However, Major always remembers that “Paris and Berlin are well aware of these differences. They consciously decided to collaborate because they aimed at a bigger project: the future of political Europe. In 2017, Paris and Berlin wanted to send a strong signal to Europe, but above all to the United States and Great Britain. It was a question of demonstrating that European sovereignty is possible and that Paris and Berlin are the bearers of this ambition. This also means that if this flagship project fails, the greatest damage will be political, not economic ”.
EVEN IF TALKING ABOUT FCAS BANKRUPTCY IS PREMATURE
But why talk about bankruptcy now? “The challenge is in fact to control a development pre-traced by the deadlines imposed by the Bundestag”, underlines the researcher of the German study center. “In the spring of 2021 he will have to authorize the next loan tranche. This authorization is linked to several conditions, including an agreement on Ipr (Intellectual property rights). Postponing this decision will not help: elections will be held in Germany in autumn 2021 and the election campaign will complicate the debate. So the French partner will be absorbed by the presidential elections of 2022 ”.
"We must therefore act now," urged Claudia Major, an analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Swp).
FCAS LAST CHANCE TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE FROM WASHINGTON
“FCAS is the last chance to go towards a truly European defense sector. And it is the necessary condition to face competition from Asia, but above all from the United States, and to reduce dependence on Washington ”. "If they are left alone, each country will have an almost insignificant weight," concludes Major.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/chi-in-germania-mette-in-guardia-da-un-possibile-fallimento-del-fcas/ on Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:05:55 +0000.