Airbus finishes pilot phase of FCAS innovation initiative

Airbus has concluded the pilot phase of an initiative to involve German start-ups, SMEs and research institutes in development of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

Innovations for FCAS (I4 FCAS) was launched in April 2020 with funding from the German MoD. During the pilot phase, 18 participants worked on 14 projects covering the gamut of FCAS elements.

In particular, Airbus CyberSecurity worked with Kernkonzept to develop a secure combat cloud demonstrator and Hellsicht developed a demonstrator system applying AI to RF analysis. Hellsicht trained its algorithms on Airbus-provided datasets, allowing for real-time ‘fingerprinting’ of radars and other emitters.

Airbus also worked with Geradts and SFL, with support from German flight laboratory DLR, on creating a system to launch a UAV from an A400M transport aircraft. An agile design and development approach allowed for rapid prototyping and flight readiness in only six months.

Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said: ‘It is our ambition to continue the initiative in 2021 and beyond, and make it a cornerstone of our FCAS innovation strategy.’

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