After the FCAS programme’s collapse, Airbus Defence announced the Team Gen 6 consortium led by Germany, with contributions from the Spanish industry.
ILA 2026 exhibition hosted the first divergence from the FCAS programme following the discontinuation under the bilateral leadership. Airbus Defence announced a new consortium with similar goals to develop a new air combat ecosystem (Mainly including fighters and CCAs), but with German leadership and Spanish contribution.
Dubbed Team Gen 6, the consortium consists of eight German firms and six Spanish firms:
- AUTOFLUG
- Diehl
- Hensoldt
- Liebherr Group
- MBDA Deutschland
- MTU Aero
- Rohde & Schwarz
- Indra
- Airbus Spain
- Grupo Oesia
- GMV
- ITP Aero
- Sener
Spain remaining with Germany is not a surprise, considering the close cooperation on Eurofighter and the associated upgrades like the ECRS Mk1 AESA radar being jointly developed by Hensoldt and Indra.
The promotional video by Airbus shows the manned fighter teaming up with various types of UAVs, including what appears to be a small air-launched UAV to assist with detection or electronic warfare, as well as a larger one likely to carry weapons and more potent onboard systems.
While it is too early to talk about the next-generation fighter’s specifics, it is widely known that one of the causes of German-French disputes was Germany desiring a fighter focused on airspace defence and France insisting on more offensive capabilities, including nuclear weapons carriage.
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