Germany weighs new fighter jet project after FCAS collapse

Germany is considering a new sixth-generation combat aircraft initiative following the collapse of its joint Franco-German FCAS programme, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said, while stressing that no formal commitments have yet been made.

Speaking at the ILA aerospace exhibition in Berlin, Pistorius welcomed an industry-led proposal involving eight German defence and technology firms, but said the government would first assess feasibility, cost, timelines and industrial participation.

“I am very pleased about this initiative,” he said, adding that authorities must carefully evaluate “who can do what, with whom, how quickly, at what cost, and with what level of involvement from German industry”.

The consortium, operating under the name “Team Gen 6”, brings together companies including Airbus Defence, MTU Aero Engines, Hensoldt, MBDA, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Liebherr and Rohde & Schwarz. The group is positioning the project as a potential sixth-generation fighter programme.

The move follows the effective breakdown of the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) project, originally intended to be developed jointly by Germany, France and Spain, with Airbus Defence and Dassault Aviation as key industrial partners. Persistent disagreements between Airbus and Dassault over workshare, control and design authority ultimately stalled progress.

Earlier this month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were reported to have agreed in principle to wind down FCAS, after concluding that the industrial partners were unable to reconcile their differences.

Under the original plan, FCAS was meant to replace Germany’s Eurofighter fleet and France’s Rafale fighters by around 2040.

By Aghakazim Guliyev