Key facts
- Germany and France have officially scrapped the joint development of a new-generation fighter jet.
- The decision was made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Germany and France have officially ended their joint fighter jet development project due to an inability for industry partners to reach an agreement on specifications and control. The €100 billion ($116 billion) Future Combat Air System (FCAS) will now focus on drone systems and a 'combat cloud'.
The collapse of this major defense program underscores Europe's challenges in achieving strategic autonomy and bolstering its military capabilities amid growing geopolitical threats, potentially impacting its defense industrial base and its relationship with the United States.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to scrap a landmark project to develop and build a new-generation fighter jet, according to two German officials. The leaders concluded that companies involved in the troubled Future Combat Air System (FCAS) initiative could not overcome months of deadlock over specifications and control.
The failure to reach an agreement on the €100 billion ($116 billion) project highlights Europe's struggles to rebuild military capacity after decades of underinvestment. The project, which centers on a core fighter jet supported by drones and linked by a classified 'combat cloud,' has been in doubt for months.
A European source briefed on the matter indicated that the sides are moving towards a face-saving solution where remaining systems outside the core fighter, such as the 'combat cloud,' would retain the FCAS name. This approach is designed to address President Macron's reluctance to sacrifice the landmark project, launched with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2017.
Both leaders had tried for months to salvage the project and overcome differences between the main industry partners, European aerospace group Airbus, representing Germany and Spain, and France's Dassault Aviation. Merz had openly questioned the need for a manned sixth-generation fighter jet for Germany's air force, noting it did not require a nuclear-capable jet that could land on an aircraft carrier.
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