Airbus told AFP that the alliance will be launched on Thursday in the German capital. The consortium is expected to present further details at a signing ceremony during the ILA air show.
The initiative follows the decision by Berlin and Paris to abandon FCAS on Monday after months of tensions between Airbus and French manufacturer Dassault. FCAS had been launched in 2017, with Spain joining the programme in 2019.
An exciting step for European sovereignty at ILA Berlin: “Team Gen 6”, a group of eight leading German defence and aviation companies signed a strategic positioning paper. The German and French governments have announced a realignment of the European Future Combat Air System… pic.twitter.com/aZcjAaO6dE
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) June 11, 2026
The new project would be largely led by Germany. In addition to Airbus, Team Gen 6 includes European missile manufacturer MBDA and six German companies: Hensoldt, Diehl Defence, MTU Aero Engines, Liebherr, Autoflug and Rohde & Schwarz.
Airbus said the companies had already submitted a position paper to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The document outlines their vision for a sixth-generation combat aircraft.
According to AFP, which cited access to the paper, the consortium is urging the German government to ensure contracts are awarded “fully and on time” by the second half of 2026. A source involved in the project said the agreement could be signed privately by the participating companies as early as Wednesday.
Pistorius told reporters on Tuesday that the project was “conceivable and one possibility”. He said Berlin was also considering alternatives, including buying additional U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets or joining other aircraft development programmes.
Pistorius said talks with various “stakeholders” on the issue had been under way for months. His comments indicated that Germany had not yet committed to a single path after the FCAS collapse.
Problems in FCAS intensified in the summer of 2025, when Dassault sought greater control of the programme. The move frustrated politicians in Berlin and Airbus executives, according to the report.
FCAS had been regarded as a flagship project for European defence cooperation. Its collapse is widely seen as a setback for efforts to strengthen Europe’s military capabilities amid growing security threats from Russia.
Source: Euronews.
