Airbus capable of developing a fighter jet alone, CEO says, as FCAS spat deepens

By Tim Hepher and Gianluca Lo Nostro

PARIS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The head of Airbus AIR.PA said he hopes Europe can continue to co-develop a new fighter jet but added that his company was ready for any scenario, including two completely separate French and German-led programmes to replace the troubled FCAS project.

In remarks to France's BFM TV broadcast on Friday, CEO Guillaume Faury reiterated that splitting the project into two planes was one scenario but raised questions over the extent to which cooperation on broader systems could be salvaged.

The Future Combat Air System is a 100-billion-euro ($118 billion) effort to develop a fighter jet supported by armed drones and secure links. But it is threatened by a rivalry between France's Dassault Aviation AM.PA and Airbus, representing Germany and Spain, resulting from disputes over workshare and technology rights.

FUTURE OPTIONS RANGE FROM FAMILY OF PLANES TO FULL DIVORCE

On Thursday, Faury acknowledged for the first time publicly that the core of the FCAS project, also known by its French initials SCAF, could be broken up into two separate fighters operating under the same umbrella.

But speaking afterwards to the business channel, he set out options ranging from a core family of planes resembling Airbus' civil portfolio, supported by shared technology, to a full divorce, with France and Germany going entirely separate ways.

"The (civil) A350-900 and A350-1000 are two different planes with extremely high commonality ... Then you have fighters in Europe without a part in common. So I'd say that's the spectrum of possible outcomes," he said.

Airbus could build a fighter alone if needed, he said, though most analysts have said that would be a challenge.

Faury denied relations with Rafale-maker Dassault had broken down completely but appeared to turn the page on FCAS in its current form.

"I sincerely hope we find solutions that are not maybe the same as we would have imagined a year ago, but that would allow a European programme for this complex system, which is so important for the defence of Europe," he said.

Dassault declined comment.

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