Spanish Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, has requested Spanish participation into future European fighter. Minister Robles has transferred letters to her French and German counterparts, Florence Parly and Ursula von der Leyen. Letter indicates Spain’s interest in being part of the future European fighter (New-Generation Weapon System /NGWS) being conducted by France and Germany.

In her letter, Robles requests that the Spanish participation be formalized by the signature of a Letter of Intent (LOI) or a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The cost of being a partner in program is estimated at around 25 million euros for the next two years.

The NGWS aims to be the fifth-generation fighter aircraft that will replace European fighters in service, such as the Eurofighter and the Rafale, starting in 2040.