European Future Tactical Airlifter Concepts Moving Forward

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—European efforts to develop a future medium airlifter are steadily moving toward a concept, an Airbus official says, but he warns that if the program is to move into development, the number of nations and partner industries will need to be narrowed down.

 

Airbus Defense and Space is leading a consortium of European industry partners on studies for a new tactical airlifter as part of the European Defense Fund’s €90 million ($107 million) Future Air System for European Tactical Transportation (Fasett) initiative.

 

The partners are exploring several development streams, says Jean-Brice Dumont, the head of Air Power at Airbus Defense and Space, speaking to Aviation Week on the sidelines of the World Defense Show here.

 

Among the streams are the type of aircraft that the countries want to develop and the nature of the partnership that produces it.

 

One of the options being considered is whether they should pursue a simpler airlifter—like the Franco-German Transall—or a more complex aircraft, like a smaller Airbus A400M. The project is also exploring which nations would be interested in such a platform and when they would want it.

 

“The timing question is not distinct from the aircraft choice,” Dumont says. “If we go down the simple and quick route, we can deliver a capability quickly—or we can go down the technology route and deliver something more ambitious, like A400M.”

 

The Fasett program currently comprises some 30 companies including airframers, engine producers and defense electronics providers from 12 European countries. Dumont says that not all of these companies can develop the aircraft, however.

 

“If we want to develop an aircraft and be fast enough, you can be too many—we need a close number of industry partners and partner nations,” he says.

 

“But if you start with too many, as we have seen in other programs, it can take an eternity to get to a real definition of the need and then sign the contract. This is not what the nations want. I believe everybody wants something reasonably fast,” Dumont adds.

 

Another challenge is that part of the potential customer base has already decided to opt for Embraer’s C-390 airlifter. The aircraft has already secured orders from or been selected by Austria, Czechia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.

 

The Fasett efforts build on the back of the Future Midsize Tactical Cargo Permanent Structured Cooperation project led by France and supported by Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, but the latter nation has opted to acquire the C-390.

 

Dumont says the study will hopefully conclude with a series of options around propulsion, aircraft size and airframe system, as well as regarding which customers want what and how quickly.

 

Studies on a future strategic airlifter through the Strategic Air Transport for Outsized Cargo program are also quite active, Dumont says. But a clean slate design for such a large airlifter has taken a backseat, with the focus now shifting to modernizing existing assets—including teaming with Antonov to upgrade its existing An-124 fleet, which was extensively used by European militaries to take equipment to Afghanistan.

 

Antonov Airlines An-124s continue to operate on military charters, but the number of aircraft available from Antonov has shrunk since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.