European Cooperation Key to Competitive Defense Industry

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has urged caution on the development of an unmanned-only Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in European defense. Faury acknowledged the deadlock on the New Generation Fighter (NGF) but argued that it should not jeopardize the rest of the FCAS program, which includes work on connected sensors and remote carriers. He also suggested that Airbus is preparing for scenarios where a single joint fighter may not be viable, and that unmanned systems will take on a growing share of combat roles over the long term. The comments come as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly questioned the need for a crewed sixth-generation fighter, according to AeroTime.