Spanish industry achieves full incorporation into Phase 1A of the NGWS/FCAS program

The DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armament), acting on behalf of the governments of Spain, Germany and France, has formalized the contractual amendment permitting Spanish industry’s full integration into Phase 1A Technology Demonstrators activities of the NGWS/FCAS project, which was initially launched by France and Germany on February 20, 2020.

A few weeks earlier the DGA had formalized another contractual amendment to incorporate the activities of the Sensors Pillar into this Phase 1A contract, as they didn’t form part of the initial launch.

With these two modifications for Phase 1A, the industrial leaders appointed in Spain by the Ministry of Defence are integrated in the following manner, with Indra as the national coordinator:

• In the Next Generation Fighter Pillar, led by Dassault Aviation, Airbus D&S SAU is the Main Partner alongside Airbus D&S GmbH.
• In the Engine Pillar, Safran Aircraft Engines is the Main Contractor, with ITP Aero and MTU Aero Engines as the Main Partners.
• In the Remote Carriers Pillar, led by Airbus D&S GmbH, SATNUS (a consortium comprising GMV, SENER Aeroespacial and TECNOBIT) is the Main Partner alongside MBDA.
• In the System of Systems/Combat Cloud Pillar, led by Airbus D&S GmbH, Indra is the Main Partner alongside Thales.
• In the JIPC/SIMLAB (Joint Inter-pillar Consistency/Simulation Laboratory) Pillar, Indra is a Co-Contractor alongside Dassault and Airbus D&S GmbH.
• In the Sensors Pillar, Indra is the Main Contractor, with Thales and the German FCMS as the Main Partners.
• In the ELOT (Low Observable Technologies) Pillar, Airbus D&S SAU is the Main Contractor, with Dassault and Airbus D&S GmbH as the Main Partners.

This achievement comes after, in June this year, Spanish industry joined the JCS (Joint Concept Study) launched by France and Germany in February 2019. The contract positions Indra as a co-contractor together with Dassault and Airbus GmbH and Airbus SAU as the technical manager of a large number of the work packages.

Spain will thus reach cruising speed and join France and Germany in all the activities. Our country will maintain a position of equality with respect to its partners in all the decisions reached during the program, ensuring its participation in the tasks with the highest value.

For several months, Spanish industry has been working with a close eye on phases 1B and 2, which will extend the project until 2027. The negotiations are progressing at a good pace within a climate of cooperation between all its partners with the aim of ensuring that the project is a European success story.

The Ministry of Defence’s commitment and its determination to turn the NGWS/FCAS into a State Project constitutes a turning point for Spanish industry, which will take part in the initial stages of the development and demonstration of new technologies onwards, subsequently allowing the design, development and production of what is set to be the most ambitious defence program ever launched on the continent by 2040.

It is a strategic project that will represent a true technological revolution and enable our industries to compete with other European companies on equal terms. It opens up a stage of intensive research and development work on next-generation technologies of a dual (civil and military) nature that will determine Spain's future. It’s also a project that will require the participation of companies and research centers throughout Spain.

About Indra

Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers world-wide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defence markets. Indra is an international leader in the Defence industry for the development of critical projects for national defence of the countries for which it works, for its participation in major European programs and in the framework of NATO and its export capacity. It is the Spanish national coordinator in the European Defence Program FCAS. It is also a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. In the 2019 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of €3.204 billion, with more than 49,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.

About Airbus

Airbus is a world leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2019, with a workforce of around 135,000 employees, it generated income totaling 70,000 million euros. Airbus provides the most comprehensive range of passenger aircraft. Airbus is also a European leader in the manufacture of refueling, combat, transport and mission aircraft and one of the world’s foremost space companies. Airbus provides the world’s most effective solutions for civil and military helicopters.

About ITP Aero

ITP Aero is Spain’s aeronautical engine and components company and the ninth largest company in the sector worldwide. With more than 30 years of sustained growth, the company is committed to innovation and the development of proprietary technology as its chief competitive edges.
ITP Aero operates throughout the life cycle of the aviation engine, from R&D to service support, and it had more than 4,000 employees in five countries and a turnover of 983 million euros in 2019. ITP Aero is a corporate entity within the Rolls-Royce Group.

About GMV

GMV is a Spanish technological group that was founded in 1984. It is privately owned and it operates both at home and abroad. GMV is currently the world’s foremost independent supplier of ground control systems for commercial telecommunications satellite operators and a European leader in the ground segment of navigation systems (EGNOS and Galileo), as well as the chief supplier of C4I command and control systems to the Spanish Army. GMV is also a leading company in the development of avionics systems (A400M, ATLANTE, etc.) and it forms part of the SATNUS consortium, the national leader of the Remote Operators Pillar of the NGWS/FCAS program.

About SENER Aeroespacial

For over 50 years SENER Aeroespacial has been a top-tier supplier of high-performance aerospace systems for Space, Defence and Science, with its own high added-value technological developments. SENER Aeroespacial is a leader in guidance, navigation and control systems, actuation and pointing systems, communication systems, COMINT, optics, ATC and avionics. It takes part in the main programs of the ESA and NASA space agencies. SENER Aeroespacial forms part of the SATNUS consortium, which heads the Remote Operators Pillar of the FCAS program in Spain. SENER Aeroespacial is a SENER engineering and technology group company with 2,350 professionals on four continents that was founded in 1956. The group’s ordinary operating income exceeds 433 million euros (data for 2019). www.aeroespacial.sener

About Tecnobit

TECNOBIT - Grupo Oesía is a fully Spanish and fully private multinational company with a history going back more than 40 years in the Aerospace, Defence and Security sectors, during which it has participated with innovative systems in the main European Defence and Aeronautics programs, including the Eurofighter, F18 and A400M. The company is also an international leader in the fields of optronics, avionics, secure communications and simulation, including cutting-edge systems such as the IRST, aeronautical displays, audio management systems, links and Cifra.