France, Germany take final shot at next-gen fighter jet development

France and Germany are making a final effort to reach an agreement on the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet, with a set deadline in April. 

The initiative, called the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), has been stalled for months due to sharp disagreements between France’s Dassault and Germany’s Airbus Defence and Space, according to POLITICO.

On March 19, French and German officials announced plans to revive the project.

“They just can’t seem to agree. Our job is to ensure they reach an agreement, so we have jointly decided to launch an initiative to bring Airbus and Dassault closer together in the coming weeks,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters before a European Council meeting. “This must be done in a calm and respectful manner, precisely to identify areas of common ground.”

A German official added: “Germany and France have agreed to a final attempt at mediation between the industries, to be conducted by experts. Due to the upcoming decisions on the federal budget, a result must be reached by mid-April.”

The FCAS program, which also involves Spain, is intended to replace Germany’s Eurofighter and France’s Rafale jets by around 2040. The initiative encompasses a manned warplane — the main point of contention between the two defence companies — as well as drones and a combat cloud system.

POLITICO reported that Macron recently met with Dassault CEO Eric Trappier and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury to discuss the project. The topic was also addressed during a bilateral meeting between the French president and the German chancellor on March 18.

By Jeyhun Aghazada