Germany and France abandon joint next-generation fighter program

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said on the sidelines of an EU-Western Balkans summit that they would scrap the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, ending a decade-long effort to develop a new-generation fighter jet. The decision follows months of stalemate between the two governments over technical specifications, control of the project and the role of the core aircraft within a broader system that includes drones and a secure "combat cloud" network.

Officials indicated that while the core fighter component will be abandoned, the remaining elements such as the combat-cloud infrastructure may continue under the FCAS name, a generic label for such capabilities. The move allows France to withdraw from the aircraft portion without formally terminating the entire initiative.

The programme, launched in 2017 by Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had been hampered by disputes between the main industrial partners—Airbus, representing Germany and Spain, and Dassault Aviation of France—and divergent national requirements. Merz has questioned the relevance of a manned sixth-generation fighter for Germany, noting that the country does not need a nuclear-capable jet capable of carrier operations.