Munich‑based engine maker MTU, a DAX‑listed company, is urging a political agreement to build a European combat aircraft. It also backs a proposal to develop two different fighters.
Johannes Bussmann, MTU’s chairman, told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that time is of the essence and a decision must be made swiftly. “It comes down to Europe’s defence capability. We need a European fighter” he said. “The Eurofighter alone won’t be the future. The alternative would be to order more F‑35s from the United States, but such dependence is ‘dangerous in this new world.'”
On the recent disputes around the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, Bussmann pointed out that the main difficulty lies in the cooperation between aircraft manufacturers: “It is mostly Airbus and Dassault that are struggling to work together. At the engine makers – MTU and Safran – things run smoothly”.
MTU also supports a new idea to create two fighters, one smaller and one somewhat larger. Bussmann called it a “second best solution” and explained to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that the advantage would be a better fit for the requirements of individual countries’ armed forces. He added that it would be more economical if both engines came from the same consortium instead of separate, independent developments.
Looking ahead, Bussmann said MTU plans to expand its defence business. “With a European approach, our sales volume in the defence sector could more than double in the next decade” he said. He pointed out that the situation in Ukraine shows how war and defence are changing dramatically. “There are many application areas where MTU’s expertise can play a role – reusable drones, for example, that could fly on our propulsion technology”.
