German corporations introduced the formation of Workforce Gen 6, a brand new business grouping that goals to take duty for the event of a Sixth-gen fighter plane after FCAS collapse.
Airbus introduced on the ongoing ILA Berlin 2026 that German business is coming collectively to type “Workforce Gen 6” to develop a sovereign European Sixth-generation fighter plane. The announcement follows the current collapse of the Subsequent Era Fighter undertaking of the Future Fight Air System/Système de Fight Aérien du Futur (FCAS/SCAF) program.
The corporate mentioned that after the “realignment” of FCAS, the event of the overarching ‘System of Programs’ is progressing as earlier than however the Sixth-generation fighter plane built-in inside it requires a brand new, agile industrial setup. Eight main German protection and aviation corporations thus signed a strategic positioning paper to proceed the work began beneath the NGF undertaking.
An thrilling step for European sovereignty at ILA Berlin: “Workforce Gen 6”, a gaggle of eight main German defence and aviation corporations signed a strategic positioning paper. The German and French governments have introduced a realignment of the European Future Fight Air System… pic.twitter.com/aZcjAaO6dE
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) June 11, 2026
Along with Airbus, the opposite corporations concerned are Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Lliebherr, MBDA Deutschland, MTU Aero Engines and Rohde&Schwarz. Along with the German business, a Spanish group can be forming up with Indra, Airbus, Grupo Oesia, GMV, ITP Aero and Sener.
“As Workforce Gen 6, we’ve got the capabilities and the capacities,” mentioned the joint assertion. “Now, we’re searching for shut alignment with policymakers and the Air Drive to drive ahead a superior European air fight system for collective safety.”
Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air energy on the Airbus Defence & House, mentioned that the business is getting ready choices for the governments and the militaries in an effort to resolve proceed after FCAS.
“For the time being, we’re going to search steering from our governments [about] what they need us to do. There must be demonstrated an industrial feasibility of what’s being requested – not solely technical,” mentioned Dumont, based on Flight International.
On the identical time, Dumont burdened upon the necessity to not waste the work that was executed up to now for the event of the NGF and the entire FCAS. “We’ve to think about safeguarding areas the place it really works, and the way we reshape,” he mentioned.
Sixth gen idea
Along with the joint assertion, Airbus has additionally launched a brief video exhibiting the inspiration of the FCAS various. The corporate is positioning itself because the lead of the brand new undertaking.
The video begins with some views of the Eurofighter Storm, the Dornier Anti Radar drone, the LOUT Low-Observable UAV Testbed, the A330 MRTT and the EADS Barracuda. “The inspiration is confirmed,” says the video, referring to the know-how acquired by means of these totally different applications in Airbus’ portfolio.
The corporate then says it’s prepared for the long run, exhibiting an idea – probably notional – of its proposed NGF various. Many have already famous some resemblance to a different Sixth gen plane, the Boeing F-47, though this idea may solely be a placeholder and fully unrelated to the brand new undertaking.
The plane is notably totally different from the sooner NGF renderings, which confirmed a extra conventional twin engine plane with lambda wing, extremely canted tail surfaces and so-called “armpit” air inlets. The brand new renderings, actually, present a very totally different twin-engine design, a destructive dihedral gull wing, canard foreplanes and what seems to be a single ventral diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI).
The plane is proven working with two totally different unmanned platforms. These embody each the newly introduced U760 Ravenstorm and the beforehand introduced Loyal Wingman for the FCAS program.
The latter is among the surviving techniques developed as a part of the realignment of FCAS. In truth, Germany and France mentioned they’d proceed to work on the drone system and associated knowledge community.
FCAS collapse
The approaching announcement of the collapse of the FCAS program was reported few days earlier than ILA Berlin 2026 by French newspaper La Tribune and German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Each acknowledged profound disagreements over this system’s governance between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, which ultimately had been unable to discover a frequent floor.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron tried to avoid wasting this system. Nevertheless, the mediation efforts failed as Dassault was reportedly a larger workshare whereas Airbus needed an equal share.
This disagreement led this system to be caught on the Section 1B Technological Improvement, which was purported to result in Section 2 concerned the event and manufacturing of a demonstrator plane. The preliminary objective was to start flight testing of the demonstrator in 2026 and discipline the Subsequent Era Fighter plane in 2040, a timeline that already slipped to at the least 2045.
The choice to finish this system was reportedly taken in the course of the EU-Balkan summit in Montenegro final week, the place Merz and Macron met and mentioned on the sidelines of the occasion. The 2 leaders nonetheless determined they may proceed to develop a drone system and a associated knowledge community.
German Protection Minister Boris Pistorius later confirmed that the NGF certainly was gone. “It was an bold, large-scale European undertaking that’s now collapsing within the face of actuality,” he mentioned.
The Minister described the newly introduced Workforce Gen 6 as “conceivable and one chance.” Nevertheless, he additionally mentioned that alternate options are being thought of, together with buying extra F-35 Lightning II plane or becoming a member of different plane growth applications.
Leonardo’s CEO Lorenzo Mariani has welcomed the opportunity of Germany becoming a member of International Fight Air Programme (GCAP), particularly “when it comes to capabilities and value sharing.” Nevertheless, Mariani has additionally warned that the ingress of a brand new member in this system may delay the 2035 deadline.
