11 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

SCAF : le démonstrateur devrait voler « autour de 2025 »

Jean-Dominique Merchet

Le démonstrateur du futur avion de combat franco-allemand devrait « voler autour de 2025 », nous a indiqué ce matin Eric Trappier, président du Gifas et PDG de Dassault-Aviation. « Notre ambition, c'est que le SCAF soit opérationnel en 2040. Il faut donc s'y mettre cette année », a-t-il ajouté. Dix-huit mois après l'annonce politique, le 13 juillet 2017, «une étude sera lancée dès janvier » 2019 et la décision de se doter d'un démonstrateur pour « valider les choix techniques et opérationnels » doit avoir lieu lors du salon du Bourget en juin prochain. Le président du Gifas a confirmé « la volonté affichée d'un leadership français » sur ce projet, qui sera un « système complet intégrant l'avion de combat ». Après le « partenariat historique entre Dassault et Airbus », Eric Trappier a assuré qu'il y aurait de la place pour « tous les autres » acteurs du secteur. Au-delà du SCAF, Eric Trappier a appelé la DGA à avoir une « politique ambitieuse » en matière de démonstrateurs. « On a besoin d'en faire voler un certain nombre afin de valider les choix techniques et opérationnels »

Le président du Gifas a jugé que 2018 avait été « une bonne année » pour l'aéronautique et le spatial français et que 2019 devrait l'être également, malgré l'environnement international « complexe ». Il a notamment insisté sur le « dynamisme » des Etats-Unis et de la Chine, ainsi que sur la nécessité de l'Europe de poursuivre ses efforts en vue de son « autonomie stratégique ».

Le 53e salon du Bourget se tiendra du 17 au 23 juin prochain, cette année étant marquée par un triple cinquantenaire : la création d'Airbus, le premier vol du Concorde et le premier pas d'un homme sur la Lune.

https://www.lopinion.fr/blog/secret-defense/scaf-demonstrateur-devrait-voler-autour-2025-174189

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