The flagship defense project of Germany and France was estimated at 100 billion euros. If the “FT” reports about abandoning plans to jointly build a fighter and focusing on the command and control system are confirmed, it will be a big thing.
Reuters notes that Dassault, Airbus and Indra are involved in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, which aims to replace French Rafale aircraft and German and Spanish Eurofighters with next-generation fighters from 2040.
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Is the great project of Germany and France a failure? Disputed issues
The FT reported that Airbus and Dassault led some parts of the FCAS program, but they disagree on how to build the plane, differing over issues of division of labor, selection of suppliers, and control over the plane's design.
Airbus declined to comment on the matter. The German Ministry of Defense also did not comment.
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“Abandoning plans to jointly build a new combat aircraft may constitute a blow to the European Union's efforts to strengthen defense cooperation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The defense ministers of Germany and France were expected to discuss the future of FCAS during talks in Paris on Monday,” writes Reuters.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron intend to decide by the end of the year whether to continue the project or look for an alternative solution.
What to do instead of a common fighter?
In its article, “FT” quoted officials in France and Germany who claim that abandoning plans to build a new fighter would allow them to focus on developing a combat cloud control system that would connect fighter jets and their pilots with sensors, radars, drones and land and sea command systems.
The project, launched in 2017 as a model for European defense cooperation, has been plagued by delays and disputes between France and Germany and their domestic industries over the division of labor and intellectual property rights.
See also: British fighters in the Polish sky. There is a declaration from the RAF
Berlin blames Dassault for blocking the next phase of the program by seeking sole leadership of the project. Sources say that France has demanded a share of around 80 percent in the work, but Dassault has denied these reports.
According to sources familiar with the matter, options under consideration include ending the project altogether or significantly scaling it back by eliminating important elements, including the development of a common fighter.
Dassault and Airbus
Dassault is a French industrial group known primarily for the production of military and civilian aircraft, as well as advanced defense systems and engineering software. The company is the owner of the famous Falcon series of business jets and the manufacturer of Rafale fighters, which are used by many air forces around the world. Dassault also develops digital technologies and computer-aided design (CAD) software, contributing to innovation in the aerospace industry. The company is important for the French economy and arms exports, and its activities combine the aviation, defense and high-tech sectors.
Airbus is one of the world's largest aviation and space companies, specializing in the design, production and sale of civil, military aircraft and helicopters, as well as in the provision of satellite and space services. The company was founded in Europe as a consortium of several state-owned aviation companies and today is a global leader in the industry, competing directly with Boeing on the passenger aircraft market. Airbus is also committed to the development of modern technologies, including sustainable aviation and the digitization of production processes, and its activities are of key importance for the European economy and the export of high-tech technologies.
