Airbus reopens Saab channel as FCAS friction persists

Airbus has signalled openness to closer cooperation with Saab on next-generation combat aircraft, as Europe’s flagship FCAS programme continues to face internal strain.

Speaking in Stockholm at the annual meeting of the German-Swedish Chamber of Commerce at the Stockholm School of Economics, Airbus Defence and Space chief executive Michael Schöllhorn pointed to opportunities for future partnerships.

- We are exploring next-generation combat platforms together with Saab and other companies, both manned and unmanned, he said, according to Swedish daily Dagens Industri.

Resilient air combat capabilities

The focus is on advanced architectures in which crewed combat aircraft operate alongside unmanned systems.

The aim is to deliver more flexible and resilient air combat capabilities, while supporting European efforts to strengthen its defence industrial base and reduce dependence on the United States.

The remarks come at a sensitive point for FCAS (Future Combat Air System), the joint French-German-Spanish effort to develop a next-generation combat aircraft.

The programme is among Europe’s most ambitious industrial collaborations and could cost around one hundred billion euro.

However, the partnership has been persistently strained, particularly over the balance of authority between Airbus and France’s Dassault Aviation, which leads key elements of development. Disputes over workshare, technology choices and governance have slowed progress.

- Our understanding of what cooperation entails is completely different, Schöllhorn said.

Not the first

Political tensions also continue to shape the programme. 

France and Germany maintain differing operational requirements, with direct implications for aircraft design and system architecture.

Against this backdrop, interest in alternative or complementary partnerships is growing. Saab, manufacturer of the Gripen combat aircraft, is viewed as a potential collaborator given its strengths in electronics and systems integration.

The company is also developing concepts for unmanned combat aircraft intended to operate alongside Gripen.

This is not the first time Saab has been linked as a potential alternative partner for Airbus. 

In December, media reports indicated Swedish industrial interest in working with Airbus Defence and Space on a future fighter programme, including comments attributed to Saab president and chief executive Micael Johansson.

However, Johansson downplayed expectations of any near-term shift, stating that no concrete discussions are currently under way.