WORLD
FUTURE COMBAT AIR SYSTEM STUDY BEGINS
FRENCH ARMED FORCES Minister Florence Parly and her German counterpart, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, announced the launch of a joint concept study (JCS) for the Franco-German Système de Combat Aerien Futur (SCAF), or Future Combat Air System (FCAS), in Paris on February 6.
Under the €65-million ($74-million) JCS contract, Dassault and Airbus will formulate diff erent FCAS capabilities. The two-year study began in February and will identify the preferred baseline concepts for the FCAS Next Generation Fighter (NGF), remote carrier (RC) unmanned systems, as well as a ‘system of systems’ and associated next-generation services. Under current plans, Dassault will take the lead on aircraft development, while Airbus will act as a systems integrator.