As confirmed Monday 15th of April by French Armies Ministery, Florence Parly. Thales, the French multinational company that designs and builds electrical systems and provides services for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets will join the SCAF program.
After Dassault Aviation and Safran, it's now the French group Thales that joins the Future Combat Air System. The development of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) should ensure Europe’s technological leadership and its sovereignty in matters of defence in the aerospace sector for decades to come. To replace the current generation of fighter aircraft, Germany, France and its European partners are confronted with important decisions and there is a need for a European solution against non-European competitors. The began in 2017 and should be released around 2040.
"By mid-year, I have the ambition to conclude contracts for the aircraft demonstrator: (...) Thales, through its skills as an integrator, will have its full place in building dialogue between the connected objects of this collaborative combat system," explained Florence Parly.
Final decision to develop the aircraft will be taken during the Paris AirShow between the 17th and the 23rd of June 2019. SCAF is designed as a system combining new generation fighter aircraft, drones, future cruise missiles and swarming drones. It will be connected to aircraft, satellites, NATO systems and land and naval combat systems. Thales will cooperate with the German company Hensold and Spanish one Indra.
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