CERGY, France (Reuters) -Dassault Aviation’s head said on Tuesday the French planemaker could independently develop the next generation of European fighter jets, escalating tensions with Germany over leadership in a joint 100-billion-euro ($118 billion) defence project.
Asked at the opening of a new factory for current-generation Rafale warplanes about a row with German-backed Airbus over the next round of fighters, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said: “The Germans can complain, but here we know how to do this. If they want to act on their own, let them do so”.
Germany has blamed French industry for blocking the next phase in the development of a new generation air combat system, the FCAS/SCAF programme, by demanding sole leadership.
Asked if Dassault had the ability to build a so-called sixth-generation fighter combining a crewed fighter with unmanned cohorts without other partners, Trappier said “yes,” but said this would be a decision for the French government.
Trappier said Dassault was arguing for clearer control of the core crewed fighter component of the project, while granting Airbus similar room for manoeuvre in the parts of the wider manned and unmanned system for which it has responsibility.
Airbus represents Germany and Spain in the project.
Trappier denied breaking any existing industrial accords and said the argument with Airbus solely concerned responsibilities for the next phase.
He was speaking to reporters at the inauguration of a new parts assembly plant for Dassault’s Rafale warplanes and Falcon business jets outside Paris.
Trappier said he was talking with the head of Airbus’ defence business about the dispute, but no compromise had been found. He declined to put a deadline on the talks.
Airbus said it remained committed to the success of the FCAS/SCAF project and to all agreements struck so far.
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(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bernadette Baum)
