Airbus explores role in GCAP sixth-generation fighter programme

Following Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comments that the UK is open to Germany joining GCAP, representatives from Airbus are expected to meet with BAE Systems to discuss possible participation in the GCAP/Tempest fighter jet programme.

According to the Financial Times, Airbus executives will meet their counterparts at BAE Systems to explore how it could contribute to the GCAP/Tempest next-generation fighter jet programme.

The Financial Times cited four people familiar with the matter, while BAE described the meeting as “routine.”

The report comes a fortnight after Prime Minister Andy Burnham invited Germany to join the programme. Germany is not expected to make a final decision at this stage.

Germany exploring future combat-air options

Germany is looking for how to move forward after the breakdown of the FCAS programme with France and Spain earlier this year. France is pursuing its own next-generation fighter, potentially in partnership with India.

The Financial Times writes, “An initial plan for a German-led alternative by Airbus, its Spanish partner Indra and other industrial groups has been dropped.”

Any German participation would likely involve discussions over industrial workshare, as the programme’s existing partners have already agreed major responsibilities.

The UK is already building a separate Combat Air Flying Demonstrator intended to inform GCAP, with flight testing planned around 2027–28.

Mike Schoellhorn, head of Airbus’s Germany-based Defence and Space business, recently said he expects Germany’s Airbus to have a “key role” in GCAP. Other major German companies, like MTU Aero Engines, also expect “fair” workshares.

And an Airbus spokesperson told Reuters: “Airbus is fundamentally open to partnerships, ​provided they grant the German, Spanish and European industry substantial ​and equal participation in development, production, and operational use.”

More than just the core fighter jet

The flagship GCAP/Tempest fighter jet is one important component of a larger 6th-generation system. In the UK, this wider capability has been referred to as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), while Germany and France used FCAS/SCAF for their separate (now collapsed) programme.

In the upcoming talks, Airbus and BAE are expected to discuss alternative areas for co-operation such as collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs) and the combat cloud. The combat cloud is a networked architecture to connect aircraft with drones, satellites, radars, and sensors.

Germany is investing in collaborative combat aircraft programmes through companies including Airbus and Helsing.

Other potential areas for German participation could include CCA mission autonomy, electronic warfare, weapons integration, selected engine work, mission computing and AI.

Military cooperation can be complex and include industrial offsets and agreements on other programmes.

It remains unclear what level of industrial participation Germany could secure in GCAP and whether any arrangement would be acceptable to all parties.