The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was a unique opportunity to take a step towards Europe’s strategic autonomy in defence matters, Belgium’s Defence Minister, Ludivine Dedonder, told the House Committee on Wednesday.
“There is now momentum to go further in making Europe’s defence and strategic autonomy a reality,” she stressed. “We politicians are often criticised for thinking in the short term. Here, we are thinking ahead.”
“This is the first time Belgium has committed itself to a research and development programme on such a scale,” the Defence Minister added. “If we do not board the plane now, there will be no more opportunities.”
A €360 million investment
On Friday, Belgium’s Council of Ministers approved the decision to join, initially as an observer, the FCAS programme launched by France, Germany and Spain. Both the minister and army staff justified this decision by highlighting the European dimension of the project and the prospects it offers in terms of research and development for Belgian industry.
The investment is estimated at €360 million. At cruising speed, some 800 jobs will be created.
Over the next six months, Belgian industry will be holding discussions with its counterparts in the three countries, led by Airbus (Germany), Dassault (France) and Indra (Spain). Belgium should then become a full member of the project, with a 10% stake. It will position itself as a subcontractor and not as the producer of a complete system.
FCAS preferred to Tempest/GACP system
The FCAS has been given the nod over the Tempest/GACP, which links the UK, Italy and Japan. According to an analysis carried out by a working group involving the Belgian industrial sector on the basis of ‘open source’ information, the Tempest/GACP programme was of less interest.
It was deemed less technologically ambitious – since the FCAS is conceived as a set of systems and not simply an aircraft – and found to have less clarity in addition to promising less industrial return.
The analysts also saw it as having less of a European dimension, all the more since Saudi Arabia was reported to have shown interest in the programme, something that could have posed various problems, particularly in terms of licensing.
No change in Belgium’s position on arming drones
“There was a flashing light,” Colonel Steven Lauwereys, a member of the Royal Higher Institute of Defence, stressed, while pointing out that Britain had denied any possible participation by the Middle Eastern country.
Another aspect also counted: ethics. The German parliament has issued requests in this regard, which are being followed up. This dimension resonates particularly with the Belgian Government, because drones will be part of the systems integrated into the FCAS.
The weaponisation of these devices is one of the issues that divide the coalition. “The government’s position has not changed: we have decided not to arm the drones,” Dedonder said.
At this stage, the question of whether nuclear weapons could be carried has not been addressed.
‘A very good thing for European defence’
The working group did not contact the promoters of either project before submitting its report. However, the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie cast doubts on this. “I don’t think it’s entirely true that there were no political, technical or military contacts,” said N-VA’s Peter Buysrogge. He added that he was “not at all surprised” by the choice made.
In the majority, the Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and Parti Socialiste (PS) welcomed the choice of the FCAS. “It’s a very good thing for European Defence, that’s how we’ll build it,” MR’s Denis Ducarme said.
“It doesn’t matter if it does not meet the interests of the Flemish nationalists. We have to move forward,” added Ducarme, highlighting the enthusiastic words of Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon (N-VA) at the Paris Air Show about the opportunities offered by the aircraft of the future.
