The French Army’s Titan Project: A July 2022 Update

07/11/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - The French army is preparing for future high intensity warfare with its Titan project, working with the DGA procurement office to devise a high capacity information network to enter service after 2040. Titan is seen as changing the game, based on the concept of “strategy…

Shaping a Way Ahead for French Defense Industry: The Perspective of the Chairman of GIFAS

05/01/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - There are difficulties in reaching an industrial agreement to build a technology demonstrator for a future European fighter jet, Guillaume Faury, chairman of the Gifas aerospace trade association, said April 28. The phase 1B for the Future Combat Air System was “difficult,” he said at…

Working Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: MBDA Provides an Update

04/12/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - There appears to be no problem in setting up flight tests of a French technology demonstrator for a hypersonic cruise missile in the U.S., the executive chairman of European missile company MBDA said April 6. “I am not aware of any particular problem,” Eric Béranger…

The Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon: A March 2022 Update

03/22/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - France is keen to work with the U.K. on a project for next generation cruise and naval missiles, while Britain looked determined to field a hypersonic weapon, a French navy officer said. There are 18 months of talks under an Anglo-French agreement signed Feb. 18…

Launching the Tiger Mk III Program: Next Steps in European Defense Industrial Cooperation

03/04/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - An announced deal for the upgrade of 60 Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack helicopters, flown by the French and Spanish forces, was worth €4 billion ($4.4 billion) for the first batch of work, a senior source said. France will pay €2.8 billion for the upgrade of…

Spain Invests in the European MALE UAV Program

01/28/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Spain formally approved Jan. 25 a total budget of €3.17 billion ($3.5 billion) for its share of development, production and service of a European medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, clearing the way for a contract to be signed with industrial partners Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo. That…

Team Tempest Reinforced by Japanese-UK Engine Agreement

01/20/2022
Both the UK and Japan are working towards their next fighter aircraft. Both are members of the F-35 enterprise and can build on that operational experience as well. The Japanese are looking in their F-X program to replace their F-2 aircraft; and the UK is looking beyond its current generation…