Airbus Defence and Space chief executive Michael Schöllhorn has questioned whether Germany should join the Global Combat Air Programme, arguing that its projected 60-tonne aircraft would be “rather a bomber” than the fighter the Luftwaffe requires. The comments sharpen debate over Berlin’s options after the collapse of its cooperation with France on the Future Combat Air System.
GCAP is being developed by the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan through Edgewing, the industrial consortium formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The sixth-generation aircraft is intended to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in the UK and Italy and the Mitsubishi F-2 in Japan.
Germany is seeking a sixth-generation fighter capable of establishing air superiority alongside networked accompanying drones. Airbus questions whether GCAP’s larger design is suited to that operational profile, which prioritises continental European missions rather than the requirements that shaped the existing programme.
Schöllhorn also highlighted Airbus’s established relationship with Saab, saying the companies had always worked well together. Germany is examining possible cooperation with Sweden and Saab, potentially alongside Spain, but no decision has been taken and no formal alternative programme has been approved. Late entry into GCAP could also limit Germany’s influence over requirements, technology and industrial workshare, as the founding partners have already advanced the programme’s organisation.