After the FCAS failure: Around 100 German companies at arms fair Eurosatory in Paris

BDSV chairman Hans Christoph Atzpodien, who previously headed naval shipbuilding at ThyssenKrupp, pointed to the strong German participation in Paris. „Wir sind mit rund 100 Unternehmen auf der Messe präsent - das zeigt, dass wir uns international präsentieren und vernetzen wollen, wobei wir auch an Kooperationen mit anderen internationalen Partnern interessiert sind“, sagte Atzpodien. Er fügte hinzu: „FCAS müsse man zwar abhaken, aber andere europäische Kooperationen seien weiterhin möglich“.

FCAS: From billion-euro project to a case for analysis

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was launched in 2017 as a multi-billion-euro joint project by Germany and France to develop a future air combat system. However, after the companies involved were unable to find a common line, the project was declared failed in the meantime. The delays had weighed on the project for years.

Atzpodien called for consequences to be drawn from the debacle. „Wir müssen uns nur noch mehr damit befassen, welche Bedingungen erfüllt sein müssen, damit solche Projekte erfolgreich werden“, sagte er. Entscheidend sei, die unterschiedlichen Interessen von Regierungen und Unternehmen in einer „ehrlichen Schulter-an-Schulter“-Haltung zusammenzuführen. Die Idee verstärkter europäischer Kooperation dürfe nicht aufgegeben werden.

MGCS: Next major project under pressure

In parallel to the air combat project, the ground combat system MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) is on the agenda, which is intended to replace the Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc by 2040. Involved in MGCS are, among others, Rheinmetall, the French Thales Group and the joint venture KNDS. KNDS emerged from the merger of the German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann with the French state-owned company Nexter.

Rheinmetall chief Armin Papperger expressed concern about the future of MGCS in an interview with the „Welt am Sonntag“. He feared a French withdrawal and considered a failure of this project possible as well. The warning carries weight, as the arms group is one of the central industrial players in the venture.

Fragmented industry, shared interests

Critics see the European defense industry as fragmented. Too many national solo efforts and a multitude of different weapons systems hinder rapid, efficient production and Europe's optimal defense capability. The call for a stronger pooling of forces has been growing for years, not least with a view to independence from the USA.

According to observers, European NATO militaries largely share the assessment that Europe must become more independent from the United States. Given the geopolitical situation, strengthening the European defense industry is regarded as a strategic goal. The fair in Paris provides a central platform for this.

Atzpodien sees the strong presence of German industry at Eurosatory as a signal of networking. The association wants to seek dialogue with international partners without losing sight of the European perspective. Whether the necessary lessons will be drawn from the FCAS failure will, according to industry representatives, become apparent in the coming months.

The report was distributed by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). It marks the start of a fair week in which contracts, cooperation announcements and political signals are likely to be closely intertwined.