Team Gen 6: 8 Firms Plan New Next-Gen Fighter Jet

"Team Gen 6" After FCAS: Eight Companies Aim to Co-Develop New Fighter Jet

2026-06-13 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

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Following the collapse of FCAS, new alliances are forming for a next-generation fighter. Several German firms have now signed a strategic position paper—and are counting on support from Spain.

A few days after the termination of the joint Franco-German "Future Combat Air System" (FCAS), eight defence companies are standing ready to develop a new combat aircraft. Under the name "Team Gen 6", the defence division of Airbus, MTU, Hensoldt, MBDA, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Liebherr, and Rohde & Schwarz aim to co-develop a new fighter jet.

"We must lose no time; we must take responsibility on the German side, demonstrate the capacity to act, and consistently pursue the path towards a networked airborne weapon system with a strong claim to leadership," states a strategic position paper from the companies, published during the ILA Berlin Air Show.

Similar alliance forming in Spain

In a press release, the companies also emphasised their commitment to multinational cooperation. "Closely intertwined with the German partners, the Spanish industry is also forming an alliance featuring Indra, Airbus Defence and Space, Grupo Oesia, GMV, ITP, and Sener," the statement read.

FCAS stands for "Future Combat Air System". Germany and France agreed on the project in 2017. However, the companies Dassault and Airbus were unable to reach a common ground during negotiations. Consequently, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and President Macron announced the end of the multi-billion-euro fighter project. On Wednesday at the ILA, Merz emphasised that part of FCAS would be continued—specifically the so-called "Combat Cloud", which is intended to network a wide variety of weapon systems. The joint jet was originally intended to replace the Eurofighter in Germany and the Rafale jets in France.

The exact details of how the project will proceed remain open. The most likely scenario is that Airbus and its seven cooperation partners, together with the Spanish alliance, will seek a partnership with the Swedish manufacturer Saab.

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