Paris and Berlin extend the deadline in an attempt to save the Fcas (Future Combat Air System), the program to develop the sixth-generation fighter jet born from the collaboration between Germany, France, and Spain.
Dassault and Airbus have extended discussions on the project by ten days, until April 28, according to an announcement by French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin during a session of the National Assembly committee.
Launched in 2017, the Fcas program – estimated to be worth over 100 billion euros – is designed to replace the French Rafale and the German and Spanish Eurofighters starting from 2040. However, recently the Fcas has been the subject of a long dispute between the companies involved: the French Dassault and the defense division of the Franco-German Airbus based in Germany.
The two companies “were supposed to deliver their conclusions, to be extremely precise, on April 18, but have requested ten more days,” explained Minister Vautrin. At the end of last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated he is doing everything possible to save the program and has appointed two mediators to reconcile the parties, a position also reiterated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The risk of failure or downsizing of the Fcas project arises at a time when Europe is seeking to strengthen unity and collaboration in the face of threats from Russia and declining support from the United States, notes Reuters. The failure of the Fcas program would represent a severe blow to efforts aimed at strengthening European cooperation in defense, comments the Financial Times. It would also demonstrate how difficult it is for countries to set aside national interests to cooperate on vital armament programs.
All the details.
SMOOTHING OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AIRBUS AND DASSAULT
On April 1, the head of Dassault Aviation stated that he had given his company two or three weeks to assess the possibility of reaching an agreement on the air combat system.
The work is divided into several pillars, and the dispute concerns the leadership of the main part of the project, that of the fighters, between Airbus and Dassault Aviation.
As the Ft recalls, Dassault was supposed to take the lead in developing the fighter, leveraging the experience gained with the Dassault Rafale, while Airbus would handle the command and control system and drone development. However, this arrangement failed even before reaching the next phase, which involved building a prototype of the aircraft.
At the root of the stalemate are deep divergences: Dassault does not intend to relinquish decision-making control over the fighter nor share its know-how, while Airbus refuses a subordinate role as a mere subcontractor. The tensions have escalated into public mutual accusations, with both companies threatening to proceed separately, blaming each other for the impasse.
The dispute between the two companies has brought the program to the brink of failure, despite efforts by the French president and the German chancellor to save the project. An alternative plan discussed by France and Germany would see each build its own fighter, but still jointly develop the engine, combat cloud, and drones.
BERLIN’S TURN
Even Chancellor Merz himself, whose government plans to spend over 500 billion euros in the coming years to modernize the German armed forces, has become increasingly frustrated with the project in recent months, going so far as to say the fighter might no longer meet his country’s needs.
Last February, the industrial dispute between France and Germany exploded when Merz stated on the Machtwechsel podcast that the collaboration to build a nuclear-capable fighter with France “is not what we currently need in the German army.”
“France wants to build only one aircraft and practically align it with the specifications it needs. But that is not what we need,” explained the German chancellor, reiterating that “This is not a political dispute, but a real problem in the requirements profile. If we cannot resolve it, we will not be able to maintain the project.”
As highlighted by the Ft, the time has come for Berlin, Paris, and Madrid to decide whether to move to the next phase as planned or to downsize the Fcas by eliminating the common jet element.
A DECISION EXPECTED ON APRIL 28
On April 22, French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin told the National Assembly that the issues related to Fcas mainly concern intellectual property and the division of labor for fighter production. Referring to the mediators, Vautrin said: “They were supposed to present their conclusions, to be precise, on April 18; they requested another 10 days.”
Therefore, the next date to mark on the calendar to learn the fate of this project is April 28.
“Despite the difficulties, the ministry is doing everything possible to reach a cooperation agreement on the Fcas, which is essential,” assured the French minister, arguing that Europe needs a sovereign fighter system to become independent from U.S.-made armaments.
WHILE THE RIVAL GCAP PROJECT ACCELERATES
Meanwhile, the parallel Gcap (Global Combat Air Programme) project, developed by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan for a sixth-generation air combat system that should be operational by 2035, is progressing rapidly. At the beginning of the month, the first joint international contract for the program was awarded: the Gcap Agency, which manages the program on behalf of the three nations, awarded the contract to Edgewing, the trinational industrial joint venture established to lead the design and development of the program among the lead companies (Leonardo for Italy, Bae Systems for the United Kingdom, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for Japan).
Finally, the Fcas dossier could be brought up today by Macron and Merz in Cyprus during the two-day European summit.
