Explaining Europe News Today

As the race for aerial supremacy in the next era of combat accelerates, Europe is honing its future defense strategies with the development of not one, but two sixth-generation fighter jets. Touted as the future backbone of European air defense, these two distinct programs - the UK-led FCAS and the Franco-German-Spanish SCAF - are shaping…

Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says sales will come "down to cost and capability - how much does GCAP cost in terms of both unit cost and sustainment over the life of type."

"I think [joining] the program [GCAP] is important to Saudi Arabia," GAMI governor Ahmad Al-Ohali tells Breaking Defense.

The Spanish Ministry of Defence said the aircraft will enter service in 2026 — an aggressive timeline considering Airbus only plans to have a prototype in the air by 2025.

Once Brussels joins the program, details about the role it will play at both a funding and an industrial level are expected to be shared.

An MBDA official here tells Breaking Defense how the company sees the missiles swarming into combat, and how MBDA is eyeing a new subsidiary in the UAE.

"There is a good working atmosphere and the deliverables are being delivered," Major General Jean-Luc Moritz said of the French-German-Spanish future fighter system project.

Speaking ahead of DSEI, a British defense official, speaking on background, stated he believes the Saudis "will be part of GCAP in due course," the strongest support yet from Britain for Saudi inclusion in GCAP.

"Not only does the Williamtown stealth-coating facility provide Australia with a valuable sovereign capability and cut down on cumbersome timelines for sustaining Australian F-35s in the United States, it will also serve as a second source of service for US aircraft in the region," analyst Ashley Townshend told Breaking Defense.

Leonardo UK and 2Excel recently won a $150 million contract for the converted 757 aircraft to be packed with tech.