Future Combat Air System - Why Europe's 6th Gen fighter craft might not see the light of the day

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), is a European combat "system of systems", under development by Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra Sistemas and Thales. The consortium aims at developing Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) as well as other air assets for the future operational battlespace.

Royal United Services Institute

The NGWS's components will apparently integrate remote carrier vehicles and a New Generation Fighter (NGF) which is touted to replace the French "Rafale", German "Typhoon" and Spanish "EF-18 Hornets" by 2040.

Reportedly, a deal worth €150 million was signed in February of 2020 to kick-start the developmental programme. With each country assigning a national coordinator-Airbus for Germany, Indra for Spain and Dassault for Spain, the FCAS concept was developed in the frame of the ETAP European Technology Acquisition Programme that started in 2001. 

Possible hurdles in the FCAS fighter program

In 2017, France and Germany jointly announced plans of building the FCAS revolving around the NGF concept. Eventually, Spain joined the bandwagon too and it now appears that all these major European aviation stalwarts are at loggerheads with each other as to who should lead the fighter program.

A full-scale model of Europe's 6th Generation fighter craft

In what can be described as an escalation of the stand-off between the two defence contractors, Dassault wouldn't want to play the second-best given its recent success with the manufacture and export of Rafale jets. Airbus, on the other hand, is looking for a more equitable position in a successor aircraft while forming a new partnership.

We still have difficulties with Airbus. It’s not always easy to negotiate with the Germans.Dassault Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier noted at a news briefing in Paris on January 26

Dassault Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier | Dassault Aviation

He further went on to state that talks between Dassault and Airbus and Spanish arms led to no fruitful results and an agreement regarding moving on was yet to be made.

If the collaboration on FCAS was to fail, Trappier said that Dassault had a backup plan and also ruled out possibilities of future collaborations on European fighter jets.

A custom-painted Rafale | Rafale B Nato Tiger Meet 2013 | Representative | Pinterest

Reportedly, the aerospace giants battling for dominance doesn't come as a surprise as history shows France and Germany have been at odds with each other in certain areas of cooperation.

The two countries have expressed their contention over intellectual property rights with France alleging that Germany’s defence industry seeks access to French technology, which Germany vehemently rejects. Additionally, both the countries are also split overpayments, the precise description of the fighter and with France even going further to mention Germany's absence from international combat missions.

A Franco-German fighter isn’t just a bad idea because of asymmetric weapons export policies. The industrial arrangements themselves are problematic. Ostensibly, the FCAS is a joint program, but the partners have agreed to make Dassault prime contractor on the aircraft, and there are few doubts that Safran will be the prime contractor on the engine and the French company Thales on the radar and electronic warfare systemsargues Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, in his article

Eric Trappier further suggests that Germany's possible acquisition of nuclear-capable US fighter jets as part of a long-standing NATO pact could also impact the FCAS project majorly.

A Dassault exit would be a major blow for a project hailed as a beacon of European Union unity at a time when the continent is engulfed in conflictBloomberg Quint

A test flight of a demonstrator is expected around 2027 and entry into service around 2040

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdo5EKlcfYc

Airbus Defense and Space | Youtube

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COVER: Popular Mechanics

The Boeing 737 family, designed to supplement the B727 on short and thin routes, remains the most commercially sold aircraft to date. The 737 Classic-300/400/500 variants were launched in 1980 and introduced in 1984, while the 737 Next Generation (NG) -600/700/800/900 variants were Introduced in 1997.

Depending on the variant, the average range of the B737 spans anywhere between 5000-7000km. This range allows most commercial flights to stay up in the air for a maximum of seven hours- considering weight and factors as well.

Boeing Business Jet | Avjet Global

The Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), specially designed for the corporate jet market, is based upon the 737 series airliners. Introduced in 1998 and made its maiden flight the following year, the Boeing B737 BBJ shattered all records and still holds the title for the longest ever operated B737 flight to date.

Flight plan for the historic journey

Airways Magazine

Lap 1

With BBJ chief pilot Michael Hewett and former United Airlines 747 pilot Clay Lacy behind the controls, the iconic Boeing 737 took off from Martin State Airport at 8:32 a.m. local time Friday and climbed to 37,000 feet, flying north-easterly to Kennebunkport, Maine (East Coast of US).

Lap 2

From Kennebunkport, having made a sharp turn to the west, the jet maintained its track and climbed to 39,000 ft. After about 6 hours and 30 minutes into the flight, it was overflying Seattle (West Coast of USA).

Lap 3

From Seattle, the airplane turned south and climbed to a final cruise altitude of 41,000 feet (12,496 meters), heading straight into the Californian city of San Diego.

Lap 4

From San Diego, it headed on a south-easterly track towards Texas, before finally reaching its waypoint of Miami. This was perhaps, the longest lap of them all.

Lap 5

In the final lap, the Boeing Business Jet headed northeast to Baltimore, where it entered a holding pattern to bring down its fuel to normal reserves, before landing at Sussex County airport near PATS, Inc., in Georgetown, Delaware (back on the East Coast).

Facts and figures of the flight

Average speed for the flight- 451 knots (519 miles per hour)Amount of fuel used - 65,580 pounds (29,746.6 kilograms)Amount of fuel still in reserve at landing-  5,520 pounds (2,503 kilograms)

The Boeing BBJ-C (Convertible)- featuring the "quick-change" facility wherein the aircraft can be switched between being used as an executive flight and cargo immediately after the other | Representative | FlightGlobal

The airplane was equipped with a nine-tank fuel system, capable of holding an additional 3,820 U.S. gallons (14,458 litres) of jet fuel, giving the BBJ a total fuel capacity of 10,695 U.S. gallons (40,480 litres).

This is a great airplane. Business jet owners now have the interior space and the range to do business on a global scale. This is a 'one-stop to anywhere-in-the-world' business toolMichael Hewett

His co-pilot-Clay Lacy, is also known for his around-the-world, record-setting 747 "Friendship One" flight, conducted in January 1988.

The only quad-engine Boeing Business Jet | Business Insider

"I've flown just about everything. And this is the direction in which big business leaders are going. You have to fly far to do business in the world today. And you can't fly these distances in traditional business jets without paying a stiff penalty in comfort and productivity.Clay Lacy

The airplane flew a record 13 hours 51 minutes 42 seconds and travelled 6,252.5 nautical miles (7,200.4 statute miles) (11,580 kilometres), thereby breaking all records and being the longest ever operated B737 until today.

One of the 3 private jets owned by Mukesh Ambani | Representative | The Economic Times

Started in July 1996, Boeing Business Jets is a joint venture between The Boeing Company and General Electric Company.

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COVER: All credits to respective owner(s)

From what is known, the certification of the Boeing B737 MAX-10, the largest variant of the MAX family, might now extend well beyond 2022 as opposed to the tentative date scheduled for December 31 of this year.

Aviation Voice

According to people in the know, the B737 MAX 10 might not get through FAA certification in time, which if missed, could mean implementing newer safety requirements, thereby translating to additional pilot training for the MAX 10, raising costs. It is to be noted that the Boeing B737 MAX family had been designed keeping the company's main objective in mind- to slash separate pilot training, thereby increasing the overall cost of acquiring the aircraft.

What happens if Boeing misses the tentative deadline?

Apparently, missing the deadline would force the company to upgrade the MAX-10 cockpit, which would result in the crew alerting system operating differently from that of the MAX 8 and 9 models. This would mean separate pilot training on the MAX-10- additional expense airliners wouldn't want to incur.

Boeing 737 MAX Family | Twitter

Reportedly, Boeing wants to get the MAX-10 certified without the latest safety standards on the design of cockpit crew alerts based on which the previous variants were certified. According to the updated Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act (2020) by the US Congress, any airplane certified after December 31, 2022, would have to comply with the latest FAA crew alerting regulations.

According to reports by ch-aviation, Boeing has an overall order of 613 MAX 10 units in its order book, with  Donghai Airlines, flydubai, GOL, Lion Air and United Airlines being some of the customers.

Although Boeing hasn't officially requested an extension of the date from the congress, it is highly that it will.

If they would like more time, this is an FAA decision. If the FAA says yes, we need another six months, give them six months. If everybody was in agreement, I would change the date.U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who chairs the Senate committee that helped draft the FAA reform law, said

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash | SpaceNews

She further added that the FAA should perform a full system safety assessment and also state whether designing a cockpit model for MAX 10 different from the other variants might increase the risk for airlines with mixed fleets.

Safety first. We’re not going to hurry. We’re not going to be rushed.I need the FAA to lead. I want to hear from them that that’s what they think is the safest way to go.Cantwell said

Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS)

Every current Boeing airplane, except the B737, has EICAS that meets FAA regulations.

EICAS | Representative | Twitter

EICAS is a centralized cockpit warning system that helps the pilots differentiate, prioritize and respond to aural and visual warnings, cautions and alerts that activate during flight. Additionally, it also advises pilots on suppressing erroneous warnings that can cause excessive distraction.

Technically, not only does it inform the crew of what is going wrong but also advises on what is to be done to correct it.

Reportedly, owing to the B737's cockpit design, inherited from the vintage 1960s design, it becomes difficult to update the airplane to comply with the new regulation.

We continue to work transparently with the FAA to provide the information they need, and we are committed to meeting their expectations to achieve 737-10 certificationBoeing

Today marks the third anniversary of the MAX crash in Ethiopia-one of two fatal MAX crashes-that killed 346 passengers and crew.

The smaller version-the MAX 7 model is currently undergoing flight tests and is expected to be certified later this year.

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COVER: Leeham News and Analysis

Indian aviation stocks, including SpiceJet, IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation, and Jet Airways, rose 5-8% each on March 9 after the civil aviation ministry announced on March 8 resumption of international flight operations from March 27.

"The suspension of scheduled commercial international passenger services to/from India, thus, stands extended only up to 23:59 hrs IST on 26.03.2022 and air bubble arrangements shall accordingly be extended to this extent only," the ministry had said.

Aviation stocks soaring as India set to resume international flights

ALSO READ - India to restart scheduled international flights after 2 years from March 27

The move is intended to improve international capacity while also lowering airfares, which have been rising owing to increased demand and higher crude oil prices. International operations shall be subject to strict adherence to the health ministry's guidelines.

Earlier on February 28, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had extended the ban on regular international flights until further orders.

However, the DGCA said that the flights that are operational under air bubble arrangements, as well as international cargo flights, will continue as scheduled.

Scheduled international flight services have remained suspended since 23 March 2020.

Scheduled international flight services have remained suspended since 23 March 2020. However, special flights have been operating between India and about 35 other countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements.

India currently has air transport bubbles with 40 countries including Canada, France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the US.

SpiceJet was quoting at INR 59.85, up to INR 2.85 or 5%, and InterGlobe Aviation was quoting at INR 1,705.65, up to INR 105.60 or 6.60%, and Jet Airways was quoting at INR 93.90, up to INR 4.45 or 4.97% on the BSE.

The Odisha government has decided to fast track the development of a new airport in Malkangiri in the southern part of the state and make it operational in two years, an official said on March 8.

The airport in Malkangiri, which is the farthest from state capital Bhubaneswar, will boost the quality of health and education services in the district, the official said.

"The airport will enhance the economic and commercial activities in the district," Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said. He reviewed the progress of the construction of the new airport in Malkangiri at a virtual meeting from state secretariat Loka Seba Bhavan, according to a release on March 8.

Malkangiri airport in southern Odisha is scheduled to open in 2024

Mohapatra told the Works Department to operationalise the airport by January 2024 in the first phase, following which it would be extended for bigger flights as the demand grows.

He directed officials to clear the obstacles for laying an airstrip of 800-1,000 metres, finish a detailed project report and issue a tender.

Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department, Bishnupada Sethi said the Malkangiri airfield could be developed as a Category IIB airport.

The administrative approval has also been accorded for the project, estimated at around INR 29 crore. It would involve 233 acres of government, private and forest land.

The land acquisition is over and the raising of concrete posts with barbed wire fencing has been completed.

The land acquisition is over and the raising of concrete posts with barbed wire fencing has been completed. The obstacle limitation surface survey was completed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Around 54 families who needed to be shifted were included under the rural housing schemes and its construction has been done.

The chief secretary told the Rural Development and the Panchayati Raj departments to hand over two roads to the Works Department, which would strengthen those based on the required specifications. He directed the Tata Power Southern Odisha Distribution Ltd to shift the existing electrical lines by June.

A seven-member technical team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Tuesday, March 8 undertook an on-the-spot verification of the Sipasarubali area in the outskirt of the pilgrim town, for the proposed international airport in Puri.

The technical team's visit came after Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia during his visit to Jharsuguda said that the AAI had already sent a complete report for an international airport at Puri to the Odisha government and is awaiting its response on developing a greenfield airport at Puri.

The team comprised AAI's four officials from Delhi and three from Bhubaneswar airport.

The team comprised AAI's four officials from Delhi and three from Bhubaneswar airport. They surveyed Sipasarubali in Puri Sadar block and also examined the land map and other documents in presence of Puri Sub-Collector Bhabataran Sahu.

The team also held discussions with Puri Collector Samarth Verma on the proposed project. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2021 had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he strongly demanded setting up an international airport at Puri.

The team also held discussions with Puri Collector Samarth Verma on the proposed project.

ALSO READ - Centre plans to set up a Greenfield Airport at Puri

The AAI approved 1,500-acre land at Sipasarubali near Girala in Brahmagiri Mouza of Puri district after conducting a pre-feasibility study in June 2021.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh had also said that the responsibility of implementing the airport project including obtaining necessary approvals from the Centre rests with the project proponent concerned which is the state government.