The defense supplier Hensoldt does not see itself affected by a possible failure of the European fighter jet project FCAS. "With the growth we are delivering, regardless of how things proceed with FCAS, I see us as being in a very, very strong position," said CEO Oliver Dörre on Thursday at the annual results press conference. He stated, "I see no risks or shortfalls with regard to the forecasts we have made" for the group. CFO Christian Ladurner added that, with an order volume of around 150 million euros from FCAS and further cooperation projects, the risk for Hensoldt was manageable. The sensor and radar specialist, listed on the MDax, had raised its growth forecast when presenting its annual results.

Asked about a domino effect in the event of FCAS and other European joint projects failing, Dörre said: "I would actually prefer not to use the term failure. It will be restructured." Chancellor Friedrich Merz had made a decision on the structure of the FCAS project contingent on whether manned fighter jets would still be needed in the future or if unmanned drones would take precedence. "If everything is reshuffled now, then, quite clearly, Hensoldt is open to whichever platform," Dörre said. "We are truly platform-neutral."

In his role as a presidium member of the German Security and Defense Industry Association (BDLI), Dörre pointed to a "very, very high participation" of German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the FCAS project. "If we now, so to speak, press the clutch and resynchronize the gearbox, then we must ensure – and we must keep this in mind – that these strong German players also find a place in the other programs."

The new FCAS (Future Combat Air System) fighter jet was originally to be built by a consortium including the European manufacturer Airbus and the French manufacturer Dassault. Demands from Dassault to take clear leadership have put the multi-billion-euro project in jeopardy.

(Reporting by Jörn Poltz, edited by Myria Mildenberger. For questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)