The main Spanish defense companies have stated that they are in an "optimal" situation to continue driving the development of the future European fighter jet, known as FCAS or NGWS, as they have stated this Thursday in a joint declaration on the program.
The document is signed by the defense and space division of Airbus, GMV, Oesía, Indra, ITP Aero, and Sener, considered the benchmark companies in the defense and security sector in Spain.
"Together with the rest of the companies in the national and European ecosystem, we consider that we are in an optimal position to continue driving the development or evolution of an NGWS, with the aim of bringing it into service around the year 2040," they have stated, emphasizing that they have the capabilities to "design, develop, integrate, test, produce, maintain, and support the operation conceived under a 'System of Systems' approach."
Concern about a possible paralysis of the program
In the declaration, the companies emphasize that, in cooperation with other Spanish and European industrial partners and with technological 'startups', they are "prepared to develop and implement the NGWS in a sovereign, efficient, and objective-oriented manner throughout its entire life cycle, maintaining or increasing the level of participation achieved in the, until now, trinational program."
They also recall that this position is supported by the experience accumulated in the Eurofighter program, where "the participation of Spanish industry in the Eurofighter program, in addition to having been on par with its German, British, and Italian partners and despite the reduced workload assigned, has contributed significantly to the level of self-sufficiency achieved in the in-service operation phase of said system."
The signatories, representatives of the national defense industry, also convey their growing concern about the current situation and the "need to move forward" on key decisions regarding the continuity or possible evolution of the NGWS. In this context, the Spanish industry reiterates "its commitment to the FCAS program framework" and points out that the disseminated text "does not intend to substitute or fragment said cooperation, but rather to contribute constructively to avoiding scenarios of prolonged paralysis that would harm the program."
Defense of technological sovereignty and call for decisions
"As a Spanish industry, through the NGWS program, we have driven decisive technological developments in recent years, in close collaboration with the authorities, national bodies, and potential cooperation partners, to achieve these capabilities," they highlight, recalling that for more than a year a "definitive decision" on the continuity of the current trinational scheme has been pending.
They warn that this project, shared by Germany, France, and Spain, "runs the risk of suffering prolonged paralysis, which threatens to compromise not only the knowledge, resources, and capabilities of the participating companies, but also the stability of their partners and supply chains."
In the same vein, they emphasize that "thanks to the effort and investment by the Ministry of Defense, the Spanish industry has demonstrated exemplary maturity and cohesion, knowing how to align around a common vision of technological sovereignty and national capability that will allow us to confidently face the future development phases of a sixth-generation System of Systems."
Finally, they underline that, as the Spanish defense sector, they are willing to assume their "responsibility to demonstrate operational capability and continue to support the Spanish Ministry of Defense decisively in the acquisition of a connected weapons system, based on air dominance, with a clear leadership vocation."
"At the same time, and for the benefit of multinational cooperation and national and European sovereignty, we believe it is necessary to maintain a permanent willingness to integrate other countries and their industries when shared interests and objectives exist," they conclude.