What Happened
European Nations Struggle to Develop Next-Generation Fighter Engine
France’s Chief of the Defense Staff, General Fabien Mandon, has warned that the development of a new fighter engine capable of producing 11 tonnes of thrust is the biggest challenge facing the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). Safran Aircraft Engines leads the engine development, with a focus on the T-REX engine, which increases thrust by 20% for the Rafale F5 standard. The FCAS Next Generation Fighter (NGF) will require an engine producing roughly 11 tonnes of thrust for a 15-tonne-class airframe. The French, German, and Spanish air forces share a common vision for the next-generation air combat system, but the ability to power it will determine whether those ambitions can be realized. France has launched the ADAMANT program to accelerate research on turbine materials and multilayer coatings capable of withstanding temperatures above 2,000 Kelvin. The development of such an engine is essential for the FCAS timeline, and Mandon warned that it is not just a technical issue but an industrial and strategic one.