During the Euronaval 2018 exhibition on October 23, 2018, Dassault presented its New Generation Fighter (NGF), due to replace the Rafale.

The same day that the French minister of Defense Florence Parly announced France would start the study phase for the successor of the Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the flagship of the French Navy, Dassault offered a first glance at what the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) could look like.

The concept shows an emphasis on stealth, and shapes that somehow remind of Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35, with no canard surface unlike the Typhoon and the Rafale. However, the most striking difference may be the fact that the plane has no vertical stabilizer, a concept that bears resemblance to Dassault nEUROn experimental UCAV. The fighter also seems to be fitted with twin engines, like the Rafale, which gives it more power and survivability than the F-35.

Its presence at Euronaval and the fact that it should replace the Rafale in the French Air Force imply that the fighter should come in at least one version able to operate from an aircraft carrier.

This model is very similar to what was already presented by Dassault as the “European New Generation Aircraft” in a promotional video called “Wings for Europe”.