France and Germany abandon joint European fighter jet project

France and Germany have officially terminated their collaborative effort to develop a next-generation European fighter jet, a core element of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mutually acknowledged the inability of industrial partners to overcome fundamental disagreements, marking a significant setback for integrated European defense initiatives.

Launched in 2017 with an estimated cost of €100 billion, the project was plagued by persistent disputes between France's Dassault Aviation and the European aerospace group Airbus, representing German and Spanish interests. Key points of contention included leadership roles, work-sharing arrangements, and divergent national requirements, such as France's need for carrier-capable aircraft with nuclear weapon capabilities, which did not align with Germany's defense priorities.

Despite the abandonment of the ambitious fighter jet component, officials plan to continue developing other aspects of the broader FCAS program. This includes collaborative combat drones and the secure "combat cloud" data network, aiming to maintain some level of European defense technological cooperation even after this major setback.