France, Germany end joint fighter jet development project amid reported industry dispute
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France and Germany have decided to abandon the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program, according to multiple media reports citing French and German government sources.
French newspaper Le Monde, citing a French presidential official, reported on June 8 that President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz "regretted the inability" of industrial partners to reach an agreement and continue the project.
German broadcaster NTV, citing German government sources, reported that the collapse of the program stemmed from disagreements between French defense company Dassault Aviation and European aerospace group Airbus over the development of a joint next-generation fighter aircraft.
The FCAS program was launched in 2017 by Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Spain later joining the initiative. The project was intended to replace France's Rafale fighter jets and the Eurofighter aircraft operated by Germany and Spain.
Reacting to the reports, European Parliament member Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said on June 8 that the project's failure had been foreseeable and argued that such initiatives can only succeed when all partners participate on equal footing.
"Projects like this can only succeed on equal footing," she wrote on X. "The French industry claimed a dominant leadership role, while Germany was expected to simply tag along."
While expressing regret over the collapse of FCAS, she said defense cooperation between the countries remains essential for Europe's security and called for future joint projects to be built on a more balanced partnership.
"The fundamental concept of a European sixth-generation fighter aircraft is the right one," she added. "Now the implementation must be right as well."
The setback comes despite broader efforts by European governments in recent months to build a more integrated and self-reliant defense industry, driven by concerns over evolving U.S. strategic priorities.
