The French Safran Aircraft Engines, German MTU Aero Engines, and Spanish ITP Aero engine manufacturers announced they reached an agreement to jointly develop and build the engine of the New Generation Fighter (NGF), the centerpiece of the Future Combat Air System program.
Safran and MTU Aero will create a 50/50 joint entity called EUMET (European Military Engine Team) based in Munich, Germany, and led by a CEO appointed by Safran. This compromise agreed upon in November 2019 was the condition for the German Parliament, the Bundestag, to approve the funding of the engine subprogram.
“The conclusion of this agreement reflects the strong and joint determination of our two companies to engage the technological development phase of the NGF engine,” noted Jean-Paul Alary, Chief Executive Officer of Safran Aircraft Engines.
The Spanish manufacturer ITP Aero will be contracted as a main partner to EUMET. ITP, a subsidiary of British aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, was initially created to develop the EJ200 turbojet engine to power the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The development and integration of the NGF engine should be carried out under the leadership of Safran Aircraft Engines, while MTU Aero Engines will lead the engine service activities.
In March 2021, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces contracted Safran to accelerate the development of “new metal alloys and multilayer systems for high-temperature applications on turbine blades and disks,” a needed step as the upcoming sixth-generation fighter jet will require more powerful engines than the ones currently equipping the Dassault Rafale (Safran M88) or the Eurofighter Typhoon (Eurojet EJ200).
