Gambit is a modular family of collaborative combat aircraft that can fly on their own or alongside crewed combat aircraft. It includes the FQ-42A, which General Atomics says is already flying and in production.
The company wants to adapt the U.S. platform to Luftwaffe requirements, using Gambit’s open architecture to integrate sovereign mission systems. The work Oberpfaffenhofen could take on would depend on German requirements, government decisions and agreements with industrial partners.
“We have been investing in businesses in Germany for more than 30 years,” said Linden P. Blue, CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. “With Gambit, we want to combine a platform that is already flying with German technology and jointly create new capabilities for the Luftwaffe.”
Blue said the business case for further investment would depend on orders and production volumes. “Where orders and production volumes provide a sound economic basis, we would also like to invest further in Germany,” he said.
General Atomics AeroTec Systems builds the Do228 NXT at Oberpfaffenhofen, where it also supports the worldwide Do228 fleet. The site provides base maintenance for the German armed forces’ NH90 transport helicopters under its DEMAR-145 certification.
“With the Do228 NXT, our employees demonstrate what we can achieve in Oberpfaffenhofen: we develop, build, and support aircraft,” said Harald Robl, managing director of General Atomics Europe. “This requires experienced engineers, skilled specialists in manufacturing and our workshops, and the knowledge gained from supporting our customers worldwide.”
General Atomics showed a full-scale Gambit model and its aircraft production facilities to Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder during a visit to the site. “We want to build on this foundation to further develop the site and, in the future, take on roles within the Gambit program,” Robl said.
The Do228 NXT, unveiled in June 2026, is designed for passenger and cargo transport as well as missions such as maritime surveillance and medical evacuation. General Atomics AeroTec Systems is also establishing a site in Nordholz, Lower Saxony, to expand maintenance and repair capacity for German military aviation systems.
