Europe’s most ambitious fighter jet never took off: France and Germany shut down their joint project
Photo: A model of a next-generation fighter jet developed under the FCAS program (Getty Images)
France and Germany are halting their joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project — a European sixth-generation fighter jet program. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron concluded that Dassault Aviation and Airbus are unable to reach an agreement, ntv.de reports.
Reason for the project’s collapse
According to sources in the German government, the dispute centered on the division of roles between the companies. Dassault Aviation pushed for a disproportionately large share of the project and a leading role in its execution.
Germany, meanwhile, expected Dassault to adhere to existing agreements under which both companies would participate on an equal basis. Disagreements over the distribution of responsibilities had arisen repeatedly.
According to ntv.de, the failure of FCAS is a bitter political defeat for Paris and Berlin. Macron had long advocated for European sovereignty and joint defense projects and was one of the initiators of the program.
Different operational requirements
Merz recently said the key issue is that France needs a different type of fighter jet than the German armed forces.
Paris requires an aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, as well as a carrier-based aircraft for an aircraft carrier, within the next generation of fighters. The German armed forces currently do not require such capabilities.
Germany proposed implementing FCAS with two different aircraft variants. France rejected this proposal.
FCAS is a joint project of France, Germany, and Spain worth over €100 billion. It involves Dassault Aviation, Airbus, and Indra Sistemas.
The new fighter, together with a swarm of drones, was intended to replace France’s Rafale and the German-Spanish Eurofighter. The first test flight was scheduled for 2028–2029.
