June 8, 2026, 5:17 p.mJune 8, 2026, 7:40 p.m
After long disputes, the billion-dollar armament project for a German-French fighter jet has failed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have come to the common conclusion that the companies Dassault and Airbus cannot come together on the project, according to German government circles. “They recognize this reality.”
Merz therefore suggested to Macron not to pursue the construction of a joint fighter aircraft. However, the joint networking of different weapon systems such as aircraft and drones or sensors in a so-called “Combat Cloud” should be continued. The “Future Combat Air System” FCAS project is not completely off the table.
Merz and Macron cannot get together.Image: keystone
In mid-July, the two defense ministries of Germany and France are expected to present a “contemporary work plan” for defense industrial cooperation at a joint cabinet meeting (Council of Ministers), “focused on a few realistic, relevant projects”. On the German side, the failure, after a long stalemate, is now seen as an opportunity to look forward again and to concentrate on the essentials in security policy beyond symbolic projects.
Merkel and Macron gave the starting signal in 2017
The then Chancellor Angela Merkel and Macron gave the starting signal for the prestigious project in July 2017. The ideas about the capabilities of a fighter jet at Airbus and Dassault have recently diverged widely.
Dassault had claimed a large share of the project and leadership. On the other hand, the German side expressed the expectation that Dassault would “stick to the existing agreements,” according to which the companies should have an equal share. In the past there had always been disputes about the division.
Decision postponed several times
The political decision on the project was postponed several times. At a meeting on the sidelines of the Western Balkans summit in Montenegro, Macron and Merz agreed to pull the ripcord. Spain is also involved in the project with the manufacturer Indra.
For Germany and France, who like to portray themselves as the driving force of Europe, this is a bitter political defeat. Macron has been insisting on European sovereignty and joint arms projects for years. The fact that the most ambitious European arms project to date with one of the closest partners is now failing due to industrial policy disagreements does not correspond to the signal of unity that he would like to send and is also a very personal failure for him as co-initiator of the project.
Merz also cited different requirements as a problem
FCAS stands for “Future Combat Air System” and, if implemented, would have been the largest and most expensive European armaments project. The air combat system was intended to fly in conjunction with unarmed and armed drones and was therefore planned as more than just a combat aircraft. The plan was for it to replace the Eurofighter used by the Bundeswehr and also the French Rafale from 2040. The total costs were estimated at more than 100 billion euros. Germany, France and Spain, which is also involved, had been struggling for months to realize the project.
Merz recently mentioned that the core problem was that the French needed a different fighter aircraft than the Bundeswehr. In the next generation of combat aircraft, France needs an aircraft capable of nuclear weapons and an aircraft capable of carrying an aircraft carrier, which the Bundeswehr does not currently need.
Who is Germany building a new fighter jet with?
Germany will now probably look for new partners instead of France to develop a new fighter aircraft. A cooperation with Sweden and the defense company Saab is conceivable. The new NATO country is experienced in military aircraft construction. Although it is smaller and therefore economically weaker, it faces a situation comparable to Germany.
A natural partner would have been Great Britain: an existing alliance in the construction of the Eurofighter, which the British call the Typhoon, could have been the basis. However, Great Britain has now already been awarded and is part of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) project together with Japan and Italy.
Union politician: “Groundbreaking and right decision”
The defense policy spokesman for the Union faction in the Bundestag, Thomas Erndl (CSU), welcomed the stopping of the German-French project as a “groundbreaking and correct decision”. “The expertise in military aircraft construction is available in Germany. German industry can and must now demonstrate its capabilities.” To this end, cooperation with other partners should be examined quickly.
The deputy parliamentary group leader of the SPD, Siemtje Möller, also called the decision “not surprising and only consistent”.
FDP European politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann regretted the decision. “Such projects can only succeed if we work on equal terms. France’s industry has claimed a dominant leadership role, Germany should join in. It was no longer a partnership model.” Merz’s decision to pull the emergency brake was not wrong.
Criticism from the opposition
The Greens were critical of the decision. According to party leader Franziska Brantner, it was a serious setback for European security and defense policy that no consensus was found. “Where industry blocks it, it is the job of politicians to show leadership and enforce it,” she told the Handelsblatt. “If things go badly, in the end there will be no European modern fighter aircraft at all, or just one with an American engine. That’s negligent.” (hkl/sda/dpa)