Hexcel cites temporary softness in a few fighter and space programs

Eurofighter identified opportunities to sell more than 200 fighters in an infographic presented at this week's International Fighter Conference in Munich, Breaking Defense reported Nov. 5. That potential export tally has increased from 134 aircraft presented at the 2025 conference.¹

The figure represents prospective sales. Potential second-batch orders for Turkey and Saudi Arabia account for 78 aircraft, while closing an Austrian order would add 36. The consortium provided no customer-and-quantity breakdown for 86 or more aircraft in the projection.¹

The consortium has long expressed interest in exporting to countries like Portugal, Poland and Bangladesh. In Portugal, Airbus leads Eurofighter’s campaign to replace the country’s aging F-16s, competing with the F-35, Gripen and Rafale. An Airbus spokesperson told Breaking Defense that the proposal would be formally submitted by the end of this year.¹

Poland is considering a contract for 32 additional fighters. It could buy more F-35s after securing a $4 billion U.S. Foreign Military Financing loan in September, the outlet reported.¹

Existing production commitments provide a separate measure of Eurofighter’s business. Conference figures showed 60 aircraft in production under contracts with Spain, Germany and Kuwait. Recent orders, including Turkey’s, account for another 89 aircraft set for future production.¹

Shield AI cofounder and chief strategy officer Ryan Tseng said the X-BAT's per-aircraft cost could be brought down to $25 million, Breaking Defense reported Nov. 4 from Munich. The autonomous fighter is designed for vertical takeoff and landing.¹

The cost case reported by Breaking Defense remains prospective.¹ Shield AI has completed its first full-scale prototype and is moving it from Frisco, Texas, to its flight-test facility in Newton, Kansas.²

Tseng said customers wanting a higher-end sensor configuration could expect to pay an extra $10 million, according to Breaking Defense. He put the baseline at around a quarter of the cost of a Eurofighter or an F-35 in Europe. The article gives no cost basis for that comparison or production quantity assumed for the X-BAT price.¹

Andrew Hawkes, Shield AI's X-BAT director for Europe, told the outlet the company has several active sales campaigns across the continent, but declined to name customers. Tseng said European orders and regional partnership agreements would be announced soon; he declined to disclose aircraft quantities.¹