Can a venerable newspaper like the Times risk compromising its credibility by publishing inaccurate information? Some think so after an article was published suggesting that Germany would be tempted to abandon the future air combat system [SCAF] to join the Global Air Combat Program [GCAP, ex-Tempest] Developed by the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy. However, this “revelation” is based on confidentiality of German officials [dont l’identité n’a certes pas été précisée]…And it’s hard to imagine that the British newspaper could have done this without having a “cookie” to back it up.
Should we therefore understand that this was manipulated? But from whom? And for what purposes? In any case, at a time when everyone is making accusations of “fake news” at every turn, the German Ministry of Defense has been slow to respond in denying the Times article. Article that is currently still online.
“Germany is sticking to the joint project with France and Spain,” assured a spokesman for Breaking Defense. “Media reports about Germany withdrawing are false. The first demonstrator [du SCAF] is under development. We are on the right track and will stay on it,” he emphasized.
In any case, one of the reasons cited by the Times to explain German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s temptation to turn his back on the SCAF would be the fact that the development of the GCAP would occur more quickly, which is the goal of having it operational by 2035 [soit au moins cinq ans plus tôt que le système développé avec la France et l’Espagne, ndlr]. However, what still remains to be proven.
At least in an interview with Defense News, the head of the German Air Force [Luftwaffe]General Ingo Gerhartz, said he wanted to accelerate certain components of the SCAF, which, as a reminder, must include a new generation fighter aircraft [le NGF] to drones and other connected effectors [encore appelés « remote carriers »] within a “battle cloud”.
“We can develop the networked effectors of this project [le SCAF, ndlr] much earlier,” explained General Ingo Gerhartz. “And we have to have them much, much sooner,” he emphasized.
As a reminder, responsibility for the Connected Effectors pillar has been given to Airbus Defense & Space, which is affiliated with MBDA. This includes developing various types of drones, whether “expendable” or not, to support the NGF and carry out missions ranging from electronic warfare to reconnaissance, including deception and even saturation attacks.
In addition to accelerating the development of these connected effectors, the Air Force chief also said he wants to accelerate the development of a combat drone that can act as a “loyal wingman.” [ailier fidèle]. Dassault Aviation “has been developing one in parallel to the SCAF for years,” he noted, referring to the nEUROn demonstrator, which, incidentally, is the result of a European collaboration involving, in addition to France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece.
“We are now looking for partners for the use of combat drones [UCAV] or the loyal wingmen at our side. We need it sooner,” emphasized General Gerhartz. This statement reflects the aerospace industry’s call for the introduction of a Tranche 5 standard for the Eurofighter EF-2000/Typhoon.
France has a military programming law on exactly this topic [LPM] The development of a Rafale F5 is planned for 2024-30, which must be accompanied by a combat drone, resulting from work within the nEUROn project. The funding draft for 2024 also provides 61.8 million euros to finance the development of such a device. This would enable the Air & Space Force [AAE] to restore the ability to suppress enemy air defense [SEAD] which it had lost with the withdrawal of the Martel AS-37 missile.
However, the combat drone demanded by General Gerhartz could be developed quickly. In November 2019, Airbus Defense & Space actually presented the LOUT [Low Observable UAV Testbed]a demonstrator who emerged from a secret project that Berlin announced to him in 2007.
Photo: MBDA