Sixth-generation fighter aircraft cooperation among three European countries breaks down, legal reform and independent research and development of "Super Storm" F5 become the key to the transition

The European sixth-generation fighter cooperation plan has taken a major turn. After the "Future Combat Air System" (FCAS) fighter project jointly promoted by France, Germany and Spain was declared dead in June this year, France decided to turn to independent research and development of next-generation fighters and accelerated the "Super Rafale" F5 upgrade plan, hoping to continue to maintain air-based nuclear deterrence, aircraft carrier-based aircraft and air combat capabilities before the new fighter enters service.

The military news website "Defnece Security Asia" reported that the main reason for the breakdown of the FCAS fighter project was not the technical inability to jointly develop sixth-generation fighters, but the major differences between the aviation industries of various countries over project leadership, division of research and development, and intellectual property rights.

Among them, Éric Trappier, chairman and CEO of France's Dassault Aviation, has opposed the joint leadership model among the three countries in the past, arguing that fighter research and development must have clear design leadership, highlighting the different positions of various countries on future military technology autonomy.

According to France's latest development roadmap, the next-generation fighter plan is expected to start the second phase of technical verification in 2027, and start the development of actual combat models in 2029. The technology demonstrator is planned to make its first flight around 2031 to 2032, with the goal of forming service capabilities in the early 2040s. However, the relevant time is still part of the planning and is not a confirmed delivery schedule.

Since the next-generation fighter aircraft is still more than ten years away from entering service, France will continue to upgrade the current "Strong". The F5 configuration is regarded as an important transitional solution to maintain combat effectiveness. In addition to continuing the Air Force's nuclear deterrence mission, it must also meet the carrier-based combat needs of the French Navy's aircraft carriers.

The planned "Baofeng" F5 will integrate artificial intelligence, upgraded Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, digital electronic warfare systems, anti-jamming communication equipment and higher-thrust engines. By strengthening sensor integration and collaborative combat capabilities, it will improve survivability and strike efficiency in the face of new threats.

It is worth noting that the F5 is also planned to be used in conjunction with the stealth unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), allowing manned fighters and unmanned aerial vehicles to perform reconnaissance, electronic attack and strike missions respectively to establish distributed combat capabilities. However, the relevant performance still needs to be verified through future tests to verify communication reliability and system integration effects.

On the other hand, although the FCAS fighter project has been broken up, the original "Combat Cloud" (Combat Cloud) and collaborative drone technology may still retain some room for cooperation. Germany has established another combat power development route by purchasing F-35 fighter jets. At this stage, the main force in European air combat is still the "Strength" and "Eurofighter Typhoon" fighters.