Berlin and Paris yesterday buried the French-German-Spanish project for a next-generation fighter jet, the Future Combat Air System (abbreviated FCAS in English and SCAF in French), which had been stalled for months due to tensions between the two companies in charge of the project - – “Airbus“ and “Dassault Aviation“, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
“The French president and the German chancellor have reached a common conclusion that the companies are unable to agree on the construction of a joint fighter jet“, the German government announced. “They recognize this reality. That's why Chancellor Merz suggested to President Macron not to continue construction. the statement also said.
The Elysee Palace shares this observation and confirmed to AFP this evening that Emmanuel Macron and his German counterpart regret the “impossibility of industrial companies to reach an agreement on the continuation of this project“.
The conversation between the two leaders took place on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro last week, Reuters reported.
The announcement was made two days before the opening of the major Berlin ILA aviation exhibition, which Merz is due to visit tomorrow and which is expected to host major companies from the sector.
Back in February, the Chancellor openly expressed doubts about the future of the project, before a Franco-German government mission was launched to once again try to reconcile the industrial companies tasked with implementing it.
“Only Emmanuel Macron is still "still believed that SCAF could survive. The sooner the decision is made, the less time we will lose to move on to the next phase," Cedric Perrin, chairman of the French Senate's defense and foreign affairs committee, told AFP.
Started in 2017 by Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and joined by Spain two years later, FCAS is a system that includes aircraft and drones linked together by an innovative digital communications system - a "combat cloud."
The future air combat system was to become the backbone of France and Germany's air power. But the dispute between Dassault (which represents France in the project) and its partner Airbus (acting on behalf of Germany and Spain) was fierce.
„Dassault“ claimed a disproportionate share of the project, as well as a leading role. The German side, in turn, expressed an expectation that „Dassault“ would „adhere to existing agreements“, according to which the companies were to participate equally. And in the past there have been many disputes over the distribution of responsibilities, the DPA noted.
The political decision on the project, in which Spain also participates through the manufacturer „Indra“, has been postponed several times.
For Germany and France, who like to present themselves as the driving force in Europe, the decision is a heavy political blow. Macron has been pushing for European sovereignty and joint defense projects for years. The fact that the defense project is failing due to disagreements over industrial policy with one of its closest partners does not send the message of unity that it would like to convey, DPA also pointed out.
If it had been implemented, it would have been the largest and most expensive European defense project ever. The air combat system was to operate in conjunction with drones and eventually replace the German “Eurofighter Typhoon“ and the French “Rafale“ fighters from 2040 onwards. The total cost was estimated at more than 100 billion euros ($115 billion). Germany, France and Spain have been arguing for months about the project.
The cancellation of the project is likely to deal a blow to efforts by European countries to cooperate more closely on defense and present a united front at a time when they face a hostile Russia and deteriorating relations with the United States, the French agency noted.
Despite the decision to abandon the joint military aircraft, the German government has insisted that other parts of the project continue.
Earlier this year, “Airbus“ mentioned the possibility of a two-aircraft solution in an attempt to break the deadlock. After the cancellation of the project, the question remains whether “Airbus“ will turn to other partners.
The possibility of “Airbus“ joining Italy, Britain and Japan, which are developing another project – GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) seems unlikely, AFP pointed out.
Despite rising costs and questions surrounding its financing, this programme is already largely structured, leaving little room for a new player with the weight of Germany.
Another possibility would be a partnership with Sweden's Saab, with whose management Airbus has a good relationship. But according to an expert, this option is unlikely because "the Swedes make small planes, while the Germans want a large plane".
In parallel with the FCAS, Berlin and Paris are working on another major joint defense project - the future MGCS main battle tank, which is to replace the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc. The project has also been hit by disputes and delays, but according to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Paperger, it is already accelerating and there is political and industrial will on both sides to move it to the prototype phase.