France and Germany Tuesday agreed to abandon a joint research and development project on fighter jets under the framework of the future air combat system (FCAS) , AFP reported. Britain’s guardian newspaper said the decision marked a major setback for Europe’s ambitious vision of defence integration.
A German government official told AFP on the 8th that German Chancellor Merz and French President Macron have held consultations, dassault Aviation of France, which is involved in the FCAS program, and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain, could not agree on the joint fighter program. The Elysee Palace indicated that the termination of joint fighter development is mainly made by the German side of the decision.
The FCAS project was launched in 2017 by Mr Macron and then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Spain later joining. The programme, which includes not only the development of a sixth-generation manned fighter but also swarms of drones and a highly secretive“Battle Cloud” system, is seen as one of the most ambitious defence co-operation programmes in Europe.
However, the project has been dogged for years by disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus. The two sides have long been at loggerheads over project ownership, ownership of intellectual property and technology transfer. Dassault has insisted on leading the development of the aircraft to protect core technology and intellectual property, while Airbus, which represents German and Spanish interests, has demanded more equal co-operation, according to media reports. Les besoins français et allemands ont également différentes besoins pour la performance des avions. France wants aircraft with shipboard and nuclear strike capabilities, while Germany says it does not need them. On a deeper level, Germany now seems to prefer to develop its defence capabilities on its own, with military spending expected to rise sharply to around 153 billion euros by 2029, French TV station BFM said, it therefore prefers to pursue its own strategy rather than engage in complex co-operation with other European countries.
In March, France and Germany appointed separate mediators to try to find a way to save the project, but those efforts failed to bridge their wide differences. Reported that although the core development of fighter aircraft was suspended, but the connection of aircraft, drones and other platforms such as the“Combat Cloud” system will continue to develop as a European joint project.
FCAS isn’t the only multinational defense cooperation project in trouble, US media said. In recent years, plans by France and Germany to jointly develop maritime patrol aircraft, next-generation tanks and artillery systems have made slow progress; the Global Combat Air Program promoted by Britain, Japan and Italy also faces cooperative friction. France has effectively pulled out of the multi-billion euro Dassault Neuron project, leaving its future uncertain.