France and Germany said on Monday they had agreed to abandon a joint fighter jet program amid disagreements between the companies involved, dealing a blow to European efforts to strengthen defense cooperation.
The Future Combat Air System program was launched in 2017 and is designed to replace France’s Rafale fighter jets and the Eurofighter aircraft used by Germany and Spain.
The project is seen as a key test for Europe’s efforts to cooperate more closely on defense as they seek to present a united front against a hostile Russia as relations with the United States sour.
But the multibillion-dollar plan has been dogged by disagreements between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain.
A German government official told AFP that Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron “reached a mutual assessment that the two companies would not be able to build a joint fighter together.”
“They acknowledge this reality.”
However, other parts of the wide-ranging project will continue, the official said.
“The actual core of FCAS is to continue to exist as a European system,” the official said, describing it as a “nervous system that networks aircraft, drones and other components into a whole.”
The official added that the French and German defense ministries would develop a defense cooperation plan at an upcoming meeting “focusing on a number of realistic and relevant projects.”
– ‘Inability of industrial partners’ –
In Paris, an Elysée Palace official confirmed Berlin’s statement.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Macron and Merz had “long and frequent discussions on how to move forward with this project, which is very important for European defence”.
“They all expressed regret that the industrial partners could not agree on continuing the project,” the official added.
The Elysée Palace official said France believed defense and security cooperation between the two countries was necessary.
“The French authorities will continue to encourage our companies and armed forces to find ways and means to implement ambitious European projects that are in the interests of our national security.”
Cedric Perrin, chairman of the French Senate’s foreign affairs and defense committee, said Macron “is the only one who still believes in the survival of FCAS.”
“The sooner a decision is made, the less time we will waste moving to the next phase,” he told AFP.
Airbus and Dassault were not immediately available for comment.
– Long-standing differences –
The news comes despite rising geopolitical turmoil and calls for Europe to more closely integrate its dispersed militaries.
Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, and European countries are increasingly concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to the continent’s security.
A last-ditch effort was made to save FCAS.
In March, two mediators, one from France and one from Germany, were tasked with coming up with proposals to save the initiative.
But they were unable to do so, and the head of Dassault Aviation continued to insist that the company could complete the project alone and was not in favor of “co-management” of the project.
The project failed despite Mertz and Macron publicly insisting they were determined to succeed.
The German leader said earlier this year that he would “do everything in my power and fight to the last minute to get joint European projects, especially German-French ones, started here”.
In April, Macron, speaking after a meeting with Merz, denied that the project had been terminated.
“We are moving on. Never before has Europe needed unity, greater independence and greater sovereignty,” he said.
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Dassault Aviation
Airbus Group
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
