Dassault Aviation, through its CEO Eric Trappier, and Airbus Defense & Space, through its CEO Dirk Hoke, presented a united front to announce their collaboration on the future Franco-German combat aircraft FCAS, as well as on the EuroMale drone, while the French Defense Ministers, Florence Parly, and German Defense Ministers, Ursula von der Leyen, will announce the launch of the project at governmental level. According to several sources, it appears that Dassault Aviation will supervise the overall design and flight aspects of the aircraft (airframe, engine) while Airbus will supervise its systems.
This announcement comes after several months of negotiations to decide who would do what, the affair not having had a very enthusiastic start from the two industrialists, when it was announced in June 2017 by President Macron and E.Merkel. It seems that in compensation, Germany has obtained project management for the future Franco-German tank, which will be produced by the Franco-German group KNDS, while it is already piloting the EuroMale, the MALE drone. European.
This announcement comes at a time when Lockheed and the US Air Force are deploying a wealth of persuasion and lobbying to try to get the German authorities to choose the F-35 to replace its Tornado. However, for both Airbus and Dassault Aviation, Germany's choice of the F-35 would lead to the complete switch of European countries towards the American aircraft, even though several countries are currently being consulted (Belgium, Finland, Spain) .
One of the main arguments put forward by the American manufacturer is based on the possible use of the American B-61 nuclear bomb under NATO control, which will a priori be integrated into the F-35, while no integration procedure is in place. currently not planned on the Typhoon. This is also the same argument that is put forward in Belgium against the Typhoon, and the Rafale.
However, this bomb “blackmail” is artificial, with control of the nuclear weapons remaining in the hands of the United States, and NATO countries only providing the transport vector. In fact, these countries have no control over the targets or the conditions of use of these weapons.
Furthermore, the chances of an aircraft being able to get close enough to a target requiring a nuclear charge to drop a gravitational munition are low, if not non-existent, even for a stealth aircraft like the F35, given its performance. modern anti-aircraft defense systems.
This is why France developed the ASMPA nuclear missile fired from a safe distance (up to 500 km according to estimates), and reaching mach 3 with its ramjet. The low altitude and high speed penetration of the Rafale associated with the performance of the ASMPA today form the air component of French deterrence.
While work has begun to replace it with a new generation hypersonic ASN4G missile, scheduled to enter service in 2035, the establishment of an agreement concerning the use of ASMPA missiles by certain European partners operating the Rafale, according to a protocol comparable to that put in place by NATO and the United States, could, without a doubt, contribute to generating a change in perception of France's involvement in European Defense. There is no doubt that in Belgium, this gesture would be likely to swing part of public opinion and, consequently, part of the political class, in favor of the French offer.
