FRANCE AND GERMANY

The governments of France and Germany have awarded Dassault Aviation, Airbus, together with their partners MTU Aero Engines, Safran, MBDA and Thales, the initial framework contract (Phase 1A), which launches the demonstrator phase for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). This framework contract covers a first period of 18 months and initiates work on developing the demonstrators and maturing cutting-edge technologies to carry out flight tests as early as in 2026.