Spanish, French and German ministers for Defence in Madrid to promote the future FCAS/NWGS combat air system

Prior to the event, they held a trilateral meeting in which they discussed aid to Ukraine, the situation in Africa and the Sahel, the Indo-Pacific region and the recent evacuation of Sudan.

During the event to present the programme, the Spanish Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, agreed with her counterparts from France, Sébastien Lecornu, and Germany, Boris Pistorius, that this is a strategic European project of enormous value, unity and commitment, not only in terms of military capabilities but also in industrial, technological and socio-economic terms.

The event bore witness to the common will of the three countries and their industries to move forward together in the project, following the signing last December of the contract for the programme's Research, Technology and Demonstration activities.

"The public presentation of this project underlines that the three countries firmly believe in the defence industry and therefore in the security of citizens," said Robles. "It is an exciting and essential project for our Air and Space Armies and for our industries, which, working together, will create jobs, talent, new industrial fabric and technology," added the minister, who thanked the teams from the three countries working on the project.

"The Government of Spain has committed a budget of €2.5 billion, which underlines the importance we attach to the project. We will continue to promote it slowly but surely," said Robles. "A Europe of Defence is essential and fundamental in a world full of risks. Everyone understands that we have to invest in defence to guarantee the exercise of our rights," she stressed.

For his part, the German defence minister underlined the importance of collaboration between European partners and allies, emphasising that "we can do a lot on our own, but most things work out much better if we do them together, and that is the maxim for the coming years. More joint projects, more joint responsibility," said Pistorius.

The French minister also defined the signing of the contract between the three countries as "an important step in the preparation of the air combat system of the future".

"This cooperation is first and foremost the expression of a common military need. Our three armies will be able to rely on interoperability. I welcome Spain's role in this common adventure, and we know that we have a Spanish defence industry of the highest quality," said Lecornu.

In the morning, the French and German Defence Ministers were received at the EA Headquarters by Robles and the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Army (JEMA), Air Force General Javier Salto. After the trilateral meeting, the Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce, welcomed the participants, stating that "the developments made possible by this project will not only be at the technological forefront of the defence sector, but will also converge with the other sectors seeking dual solutions that will allow our citizens to benefit from their technological advances".

Valcarce detailed that the FCAS programme will include a new generation fighter, a new engine, a drone system, a combat cloud, sensors, low observability technology and a simulation laboratory, in an industrial strategy "permeated by values and commitments to sustainability", which "strengthens the strategic sovereignty of the EU and the relations between Germany, France and Spain as partners and allies, and contributes to the Europe of Defence".

The programme is coordinated by Dassault Aviation in France, Airbus Defense and Space GmbH in Germany, and Indra in Spain. The following entities are also taking part: Airbus Defence and Space SAU, EUMET (Safran Aircraft Engines / MTU), ITP Aero, MBDA, SATNUS (GMV / Sener / Tecnobit), Thales and FCMS (Hensoldt, Diehl Defence, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH / Rohde & Schwarz).

Trilateral meeting

Prior to the presentation of the signing of the contract, the ministers held a trilateral meeting in which Robles took the opportunity to inform her German and French counterparts about the objectives in the field of defence for Spain's presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2023.

The defence ministers were also able to address other issues such as the war in Ukraine, strengthening their commitment to support and defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the situation in other conflict zones in Africa, specifically in the Sahel, and in the Indo-Pacific region.

"It was a very intense meeting. We are three leading countries in Europe and so we have a responsibility not only in the areas of industry and aid to Ukraine, but also in the projection of freedom and peace, not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world," said the Spanish Minister for Defence.

During the meeting, the German minister thanked Spain for the recent evacuation of Spanish and other nationals from Sudan.

The Spanish delegation was represented by the Secretary of State for Defence, the JEMA and the Secretary General for Defence Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez. Also in attendance, among others, were the French Ambassador to Spain, Jean Michel Casa, the French Member of Congress, Guillaume Kasbarian, as well as the German Secretary of State, Benedikt Zimmer, and the German Ambassador to Spain, Maria Margarete Gosse.

Non official translation