Aeronautics, space, defense: sovereignty, the end of illusions

What does it mean to be an American company in a world of geopolitical uncertainties and shifting alliances, to which the United States is not always a stranger? The question was put to Brendan Nelson, senior vice-president of The Boeing Company and president of Boeing Global, at the opening of a series of debates which took place today at the Maison de la mutualité in Paris as part of the Paris Air Forum. HAS” We are also a global company,” with 24,000 employees worldwide and a “ perfectly non-partisan in the way we operate,”©torque cet Australien.

In an operational environment that he describes as “ more complex than we have known, perhaps even since the end of the Second World War,” strengthening the critical capacities of countries and reducing their dependencies is “ essential ».To do this, Boeing wants to “ co-invest and produce » to support the sovereignty of nations, insists the leader.

It must be said that in this period of upheaval and high intensity wars, as well as an interconnected industry, the concept of sovereignty is evolving. For Alexandre Lahousse, deputy director general of the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA), it went from “ the preservation of industrial skills for dynamic strategic autonomy.”

Today, “ we need to produce quickly and in large quantities, and we need large industrial capacities. » Main task on this path for the DGA: how to develop a French supply chain capable of supplying components to major players, which it does in particular through public procurement, but also « open up to European partners.”

On the industrial side, Christophe Bruneau, executive president of ArianeGroup, a Franco-German company, does not see any contradiction in working in international environments while serving his main client, his state of origin. HAS” We are in a complex world where we must find the best players in a way that guarantees our autonomy. It’s not because you work in space with a Spanish-German company, even in Switzerland, that you are dependent. This is the key to preserving sovereignty and independence for a company like Ariane Group “, he considers. Certainly, there are red lines – respect for national rules – which does not prevent international cooperation.

At the French Naval Group, which serves France and international clients, “ the ratio is two thirds vs one third,” indicates for his part Pierre-Éric Pommellet, president and CEO of Naval Group. If its international market had started in regions like South America, the Middle East, India and Southwest Asia, it is increasingly turning to European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece or Sweden, to the point that the Old Continent could occupy the majority of its international portfolio.

For the man who is also president of Gican, a professional union in the shipbuilding sector, it is key to “ adapt to what a country or client defines as sovereignty.” Some want to build boats, others integrate equipment… In short, “ if we want to master our destiny, be sovereign and have strategic autonomy, we must be competitive and deliver » à temps, résume-t-il.

For his part, Olivier Andriès, president of GIFAS and general director of Safran, emphasizes his credo: “ résilience et compétitivité ».And so, we are building an industrial system both on our own factories and on our supplies from a chain of suppliers which gives us the elements of competitiveness necessary to stay in the race with the large aircraft manufacturers. »

Certain activities in front of “ remain on French soil, in particular everything relating to the hot parts of aircraft engines. It is in France that we decided to invest in the forge and the foundry» he testifies. Likewise, the engine manufacturer, who supplies the engine to the Rafale, “ desensitization » of its dependencies on Russian titanium by using American companies. And wants to build a French sector, supported by Aubert & Duval, whose capital he holds alongside Airbus and Tikehau Capital. A sector whose constitution “ will take a few years,” and that he envisages by 2030.

The fact remains that, if sovereignty does not rhyme with barricades and it also requires cooperation, particularly European, this shows its limits, as shown by the death of the SCAF project (air combat systems of the future), which has just been made official at the Berlin air show. Can we still believe in intra-European cooperation? HAS” This should not be seen as a failure of Franco-German cooperation in the broad sense. I am deeply convinced that this is not the end, and in fact it is a new beginning» relativise Olivier Andriès. Because, « simply the fact that two large companies (Airbus and Dassault Aviation) have failed to find the right way to cooperate together.”

For him, the right course of action would be “ a recognition of the respective strengths, and from there there must be a discussion and agreement on the distribution of tasks. Then, a convergence of operational needs. And finally, political support. This must be done in this order, not the other way around.. » And to suggest that there exists « an appetite and openness among German industrial players to engage in partnerships and cooperation with French industry on concrete subjects.”

« There is national sovereignty, European sovereignty and the two are quite difficult to articulate,”For his part, judges Francois Lombard, director of the Connected Intelligence division at Airbus Defense and Space. HAS” The reality today, practical for operational staff, for industrialists in a European framework, is that there are many blockages to working together, to transferring skills and technologies. »

Optimism, on the other hand, from Denis Mercier, co-president of MEDEF International’s NewSpace Task Force, former Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force and former Supreme NATO Commander. HAS” New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones as well as the use of space offer us real possibilities to develop cooperation on a new model.He said.

Especially since digital dependencies, digital technologies being dominated by the United States and China, are a “ elephant in a china shop”,which risks weighing on the operations and control of the autonomy of manufacturers, as also underlined by the executive president of ArianeGroup, Christophe Bruneau. Thus, for defense, taking the train of innovation in AI, data, quantum… will be ” absolument clé ».