Airbus forms new fighter aircraft alliance as Sweden emerges as potential partner

Airbus and seven other defence and technology companies have launched Team Gen 6, a new initiative intended to develop a European sixth-generation combat aircraft.

The move comes after reports on Tuesday suggesting the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme may be approaching a critical juncture.

Once again, Sweden is identified as a potential partner, according to media reports.

FCAS was long presented as Europe’s largest defence programme, with an estimated value exceeding SEK 1 trillion. The project was intended to underpin the development of next-generation combat air capabilities from the 2040s onwards.

However, following years of industrial disagreements, particularly between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, reports indicate that the combat aircraft pillar of FCAS could now be abandoned.

Against that backdrop, Airbus is exploring a new initiative centred on German industrial leadership.

According to the Financial Times, eight companies - Airbus Defence and Space, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Liebherr, MBDA, MTU Aero Engines and Rohde & Schwarz - plan to establish a new alliance known as Team Gen 6. 

The group is expected to be formally presented during the ILA Berlin Air Show.

The alliance is intended to demonstrate that German industry is prepared to lead the development of a new European sixth-generation combat aircraft. A position paper seen by the Financial Times states that the companies aim to combine their expertise to secure Europe’s future air combat capabilities.

The report also suggests that the initiative could create opportunities for wider European participation. Spain, already a member of FCAS, is cited as a potential partner, while Sweden is also identified as a possible collaborator.

Such a development could strengthen Saab’s position in discussions over Europe’s future combat air architecture.

The issue carries significant strategic weight for Saab. 

As prime contractor for the Gripen system, the company is closely tied to Sweden’s forthcoming decision on its next-generation combat aircraft capability. Options under consideration include a domestically developed platform, participation in a multinational programme, or the acquisition of a foreign system.

Should the FCAS combat aircraft effort unravel, Airbus’s search for new industrial partnerships could reshape the European combat aviation landscape. 

A German-Swedish partnership could offer Saab a role in a broader European programme while allowing Sweden to retain influence over technology development, production and future combat air capabilities.

According to the Financial Times, Airbus, Hensoldt, Rohde & Schwarz and the German Chancellery declined to comment on the reports. The remaining companies, along with the German Ministry of Defence, had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.