Germany And Spain Launch ‘Team Gen 6’ After Europe’s Next-Gen Fighter Effort Collapses

Key Points:

• Airbus has launched the ‘Team Gen 6’ initiative, led by Germany and Spain, aiming to revive Europe's sixth-generation combat jet program following the collapse of the Franco-German New Generation Fighter (NGF) project.
• The new effort integrates several German and Spanish defense contractors and focuses on developing a crewed fighter jet as part of the broader Future Combat Air System (FCAS), emphasizing agility and industrial feasibility in response to shifting geopolitical realities.
• Airbus plans to advance the concept of a "command fighter" capable of coordinating with uncrewed platforms, with trials involving modified Eurofighters and Learjets expected to lead to operational capabilities by 2029.
• Experts suggest the German-Spanish program may struggle to sustain itself without additional partners due to limited production numbers, potentially leading to collaboration with Sweden or competition with the British-led Global Combat Air Program (GCAP).
• The collapse of NGF has intensified questions about Europe's future air combat landscape, with France likely to pursue its own sixth-generation fighter independently, while India and other potential partners remain uncertain amidst complex geopolitical and industrial considerations.