Franco-German Defense Axis Dominates ILA Berlin Airshow
New fighter, UAS, and heavy-lift helicopter requirements generated much discussion
Franco-German amity was on full display at the ILA Berlin airshow: Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces (left) and Ursula von der Leyen, German Minister of Defence (right). (Photo: Messe Berlin)
Franco-German amity was on full display at the ILA Berlin airshow: Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces (left) and Ursula von der Leyen, German Minister of Defence (right). (Photo: Messe Berlin)

Joint solutions to German, French, and wider European defense requirements were a key theme of the ILA Berlin Airshow this week. Grand declarations were made about the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the Euro-MALE drone. But two purely German needs were also debated: replacements for the Tornado strike jet and the CH-53G heavy-lift helicopter.