When asked in Nicosia whether the joint project had failed, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “No, not at all.”Image: keystone
April 24, 2026, 10:38April 24, 2026, 10:38
Germany and France continue to struggle to implement the billion-dollar FCAS air combat project. When asked in Nicosia whether the joint project had failed, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “No, not at all.”
He had a good conversation about this with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The defense ministries have been instructed to work on different axes and different topics in the coming weeks. It’s not just about the fighter jet project. Macron emphasized: “Europe has never needed unity, more independence and more sovereignty as much as it does now.”
FCAS stands for “Future Combat Air System” and, if implemented, would be the largest and most expensive European armaments project. The air combat system is intended to fly in conjunction with unarmed and armed drones and is therefore more than just a combat aircraft. The plan is for it to replace the Eurofighter used by the Bundeswehr and also the French Rafale from 2040.
The companies involved, Dassault (France), Airbus Germany and Indra (Spain), have not yet reached an agreement on building a joint fighter aircraft. Discussions between two mediators have recently failed to produce an amicable result. Failure would be a bitter setback for European arms cooperation and German-French relations. (sda/dpa)