René Obermann, Airbus’s Chairman of the Management Board, defended the recently announced suspension of the Franco-German FCAS defense project. According to Obermann’s comments to “Focus”, the halt is “the right step because it brings honesty to light, even if it is painful.”
The FCAS, or Future Combat Air System, was intended to be more than just a new fighter jet. Obermann viewed the decision to separate the fighter aircraft as a core element of FCAS as potentially an opportunity, noting that some of the project’s developed components could still be useful.
However, the former Telekom CEO and Airbus chief controller also admitted to negative consequences. He explained that the cancellation of the fighter jet inherently caused further reputational damage to the Franco-German collaboration. While asserting that the situation should not be sugarcoated, Obermann also cautioned against excessive dramatization.
He suggested that the project might have been avoided much earlier, perhaps as early as the beginning of 2017, using a different construction approach. Generally speaking, he noted that Europe has long been dealing with a form of “deep defence nationalism,” which, regrettably, is only beginning to slowly crumble.
