France and Germany abandon joint project to build European fighter jet
The governments said the core crewed fighter will stop, while drone and combat cloud work may continue under separate arrangements.
- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to abandon their joint $116 billion next-generation fighter jet project, concluding during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro that months of deadlock remained unbreakable.
- Launched in 2017 by Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the program struggled with technological specifications and control disputes between Dassault Aviation and Airbus, while Merz questioned the necessity of a nuclear-capable jet for Germany.
- Failure to reach consensus reflects Europe's broader struggle to rebuild military capacity; while the core fighter is cancelled, officials aim to preserve the "combat cloud," a "nervous system that networks aircraft, drones, and other components into an integrated whole."
- This decision weakens European efforts to present a united defense front against Russia, marking a significant setback for integrated defense cooperation as nations contend with souring ties with the United States.
- Leaders are seeking a face-saving solution to rebrand remaining systems under the Future Combat Air System name, allowing officials to relinquish the core fighter without declaring the entire project dead.
259 Articles
259 Articles
Berlin, 10 Jun (EFE).- The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, promised on Wednesday to continue the Franco-German collaboration in defence after certifying the failure of the joint project to develop a sixth generation European fighter with Spanish participation, which has raised concern in some capitals in the midst of the effort to achieve greater military sovereignty in the EU.
Despite the political will, industrial disagreements have ended the Franco-German project of the future. For France, the future of its new generation hunter remains uncertain.
You regularly hear from one person or another that the United States can no longer be trusted as a NATO partner and that, for that reason, Europe must work towards its own army. But the advocates of such a European army are having a bad week. Last Monday, Germany and France put a stop to the development of their own European fighter jet.
Europe’s $116B fighter jet ‘failure’ raises fresh doubts about ability to defend itself without US
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Europe’s most ambitious effort to build a homegrown sixth-generation fighter jet has collapsed, dealing a major blow to the continent’s push for military independence just as NATO allies pledge historic increases in defense spending. France and Germany have abandoned the fighter jet portion of the Future Combat Air System project (FCAS), according to French and German officials — a roughly $116 billion…
Europe's $116B fighter jet 'failure' raises fresh doubts about ability to defend itself without US
Europe's most ambitious sixth-generation fighter jet program has collapsed after France and Germany abandoned the roughly €100 billion Future Combat Air System project amid industrial disputes.
The European fighter jet project FCAS has failed.
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