Merz, Macron aim to clear hurdles in €100 billion fighter jet project

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to work toward resolving outstanding issues concerning the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) fighter jet project by the end of August, according to a statement from a German government spokesperson, quoted by Reuters.

The announcement followed a dinner meeting between the two leaders on July 23, held on the outskirts of Berlin, during which they addressed the stalled progress of the ambitious Franco-German-Spanish defence initiative. The project, valued at more than €100 billion ($117.73 billion), has faced repeated delays due to disputes over workshare distribution and intellectual property rights.

“The defence ministers were tasked with evaluating a realistic outlook for further cooperation within the FCAS consortium by the end of August and submitting proposals for resolving existing conflicts,” the spokesperson stated.

The FCAS program aims to develop a next-generation fighter jet to begin replacing France’s Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon jets used by Germany and Spain starting in 2040. It is being developed jointly by Dassault Aviation (France), Airbus (Germany), and Indra (Spain).

However, tensions remain over the structure of the industrial partnership. A defence industry source told Reuters earlier this month that France has requested an approximately 80% share of the overall work in the FCAS program, a demand that has complicated negotiations.

Germany, for its part, expects Dassault to honour the terms of existing agreements, the government spokesperson added.

In addition to FCAS, Merz and Macron also discussed other strategic issues, including European space policy, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and the status of trade negotiations with the United States.

By Tamilla Hasanova