Paris, Berlin and Stockholm have put black on white their commitment to the Medium Size Tactical Freighter of the Future (FMTC) program. It is one of the fourteen projects included in the fourth wave of permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiatives of the European Union, and that therefore was already known since last November, although now the three countries involved have firmly agreed to its implementation. The alliance is open to new partners, and, in fact, “it is possible that other countries will join soon,” as revealed by the French Air and Space Force (EPA).
The launch of the program was signed two weeks ago, taking advantage of the European Wings meeting, at the French air base of Orléans-Bricy, although the French Ministry of Defense has reported it days later. The event hosted a dozen Chiefs of Staff of the Air Forces and European civil and military authorities, cited in this framework (European Wings) outlined to “demonstrate the strategic importance of air assets for the crisis management operations of the European Union, the imperative to guarantee access to the disputed airspace and the need for cooperation to increase the power of air assets, in particular at the top of the spectrum, for the benefit of the freedom of action of EU and NATO missions.”
In this context, the agreement for the FMTC program was signed on June 23, which the official French source describes as “a tactical transport aircraft project that will replace, by 2040, the C-130 Hercules and Casa CN-235.”