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February 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Le futur avion de combat européen franchit une étape décisive

Les députés allemands ont validé, ce mercredi 12 février, le décollage du futur avion de combat européen, censé remplacer à terme Rafale et Eurofighter et donner une nouvelle dynamique à l'Europe de la défense. Mais avec certaines conditions.

Les députés allemands ont validé mercredi le projet du futur avion de combat européen, censé remplacer à terme Rafale et Eurofighter et donner une nouvelle dynamique à l'Europe de la défense, mais avec certaines conditions.

Au terme de plusieurs mois de rivalités politico-industrielles entre l'Allemagne et la France, les membres de la commission du Budget du Bundestag ont donné leur aval au déblocage de 77 millions d'euros de crédits pour lancer la première grande étape du projet franco-allemand, auquel s'est joint l'Espagne.

Les élus de la majorité - conservateurs et sociaux-démocrates- ont voté pour, de même que l'extrême droite. Ecologistes, extrême gauche ont voté contre.

Cette manne doit permettre de financer des études en vue de la construction d'ici 2026 d'un démonstrateur de l'avion de combat européen de nouvelle génération (dit NGF ou « New Generation Fighter »).Les montants en jeu sont certes limités par rapport à l'enveloppe globale du programme mais l'étape de mercredi était essentielle, un vote négatif risquant de tout remettre en cause.

« Nous ne voulons pas détériorer les relations franco-allemandes »

Selon plusieurs sources parlementaires, la commission va majoritairement approuver malgré des réticences les crédits. « Nous allons le faire car nous ne voulons pas détériorer les relations franco-allemandes, et ce juste avant la venue du président français Emmanuel Macron ce week-end en Allemagne pour la Conférence sur la sécurité de Munich », a expliqué le rapporteur du projet à la commission du Budget, Rainer Brandl.

Mais les élus allemands, qui depuis le début craignent que les partenaires industriels français soient trop dominateurs dans le projet, comptent poser des conditions. Ils veulent en particulier qu'un autre projet militaire franco-allemand d'envergure, le programme de char MGCS (Main Ground Combat System), dont les Allemands doivent être chefs de file, progresse au même rythme que celui de l'avion du futur.

L'avion doit entrer en action vers 2040

Les deux projets doivent avancer « en parallèle », indique leur projet de résolution, obtenu par l'Agence France Presse (AFP). « Le programme de l'avion de chasse, piloté par les Français, progresse vite, alors que celui du char est à la traîne », décrypte un parlementaire allemand sous couvert de l'anonymat. En cause notamment : les difficultés des industriels allemands du secteur de l'armement à se mettre d'accord entre eux sur la répartition du « g'teau ». Les députés demandent aussi des garanties pour que les intérêts des entreprises allemandes du secteur technologies soient mieux pris en compte dans le développement du projet.

L'avion, qui doit entrer en action vers 2040, est la pièce maîtresse du programme SCAF (Système de Combat Aérien du Futur) associant en outre des drones et de futurs missiles de croisière. Le vote positif attendu ouvrira la voie à la notification des contrats aux industriels impliqués dans le projet, notamment Dassault, Airbus ou encore Thales. Et relancera un programme qui patinait.

La ministre française des Armées, Florence Parly, a mis la pression le 5 février à Strasbourg sur les parlementaires allemands. Paris et Berlin ont la « responsabilité » de « construire cette Europe de la Défense », a-t-elle lancé, en soulignant que le vote des députés du Bundestag aura une importance décisive et enverra un « signal politique fort ».

Un accord entre le Français Safran et l'Allemand MTU

Le projet avait déjà franchi une étape importante en décembre. Un accord avait été trouvé entre les motoristes français Safran et allemand MTU sur la répartition industrielle des travaux de développement du moteur du futur avion. Les deux sociétés étaient notamment convenues de la création d'une société commune 50/50. Depuis la répartition des t'ches entre Safran et MTU, plusieurs acteurs côté allemand, dont des membres du Bundestag, ont cherché à revenir en leur faveur sur cet accord.

« Derrière le nom barbare de 'SCAF' se cache le projet qui conditionne le futur de l'aéronautique de combat française et européenne, ainsi que l'affirmation d'une politique de défense pour renforcer la sécurité du continent », soulignait récemment Jean-Pierre Maulny, directeur adjoint de l'Institut des relations internationales stratégiques (Iris).

Le sujet devrait être abordé samedi à Munich par Emmanuel Macron, qui vient de proposer que les Européens, Allemagne notamment, soient associés à la force de dissuasion nucléaire française, en participant par exemple à des exercices.

https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/le-futur-avion-de-combat-europeen-suspendu-au-vote-des-deputes-allemands-6732554

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