Germany's biggest aerospace expo opened outside Berlin this week with three storylines dominating the floor: a live competition among autonomous drone wingmen, a search for a next-generation fighter jet after a major European program fell apart, and a new wave of counter-drone technology aimed at cheap battlefield threats.
On the drone wingman front, several full-sized Collaborative Combat Aircraft — known as CCAs — or scale models were on display, with company representatives competing to win German military interest. According to Breaking Defense, the show amounted to a "CCA showdown," with manufacturers eager to talk up the latest developments in uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside human-piloted jets.
The fighter jet question looming over the event stems from trouble with FCAS — the Future Combat Air System — a Franco-German-Spanish program that has faced significant setbacks. According to Breaking Defense, Germany's air force chief stated that Germany will need to "pick up" a fifth-generation-plus fighter system by 2035. Options reportedly under consideration include purchasing additional F-35s or acquiring a newer "fifth-gen-plus" platform, though no decision has been announced.
On the defensive side, European missile maker MBDA unveiled a hybrid system combining a high-energy laser with interceptor missiles, specifically designed to counter what the company described as the "growing challenge of small, fast, and low-cost unmanned aerial threats." According to Breaking Defense, MBDA indicated the system could enter service with Germany before the end of the decade.
Taken together, the show reflects an urgent reset in European defense priorities: as cheap commercial-style drones reshape warfare, major powers are scrambling to both field their own autonomous aircraft and defend against the enemy's.