European Fighter Jet Project Faces Collapse as France and Germany Re-Evaluate plans
PARIS & BERLIN - A landmark Franco-German defense project, the Future Combat air System (FCAS), is teetering on the brink of collapse as disagreements over its core objective - the joint advancement of a next-generation fighter jet – threaten to derail the multi-billion euro initiative. Talks have resumed after a period of tension, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently traveling to Paris to discuss the program with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin.
Originally intended to produce a European fighter jet,the FCAS program is now considering a shift in focus towards developing an advanced command and control system,known as the “Combat Cloud.” This system would integrate fighter jets and pilots with sensors, radars, drones, and command systems across land and sea.
According to sources, abandoning the joint fighter jet development could allow continued cooperation in a different capacity. “We can live with several jets in Europe but we need one cloud system for all of them,” one official stated. However, no final decision has been reached.
The program has been plagued by disputes between Dassault and Airbus, the companies leading different aspects of the project, regarding the division of labor, supplier selection, and control over the fighter jet’s design.
A failure of the FCAS program would represent a notable setback for the EU’s efforts to strengthen defense cooperation, particularly considering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A French banker close to the negotiations warned, “At the moment the deal is at a complete standstill and the project is dying. There is no longer any trust, both parties accuse each other of violating agreements. You can’t just fix that.”
The €100 billion FCAS program aims to create a next-generation air combat system for both nations, ensuring European strategic autonomy in the face of evolving security challenges.