The joint German-French project to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet, also involving Spain, has definitively failed. According to reports from the Handelsblatt citing government sources, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) informed French President Emmanuel Macron that the construction of a shared aircraft would not proceed, thus ending years of protracted negotiations.
The manned jet was originally intended to form the core of the future FCAS air combat system. However, the two nations still plan to continue developing the digital “nervous system”-which is also part of FCAS and is designed to link the aircraft with satellites and drones. The specific distribution of tasks for this so-called “System of Systems” is scheduled to be discussed during the next German-French ministerial meeting, expected around July 17.
A top German official told the Handelsblatt that the failure of the German-French fighter stemmed from the participating companies-Airbus on the German side and Dassault on the French side-being unable to come to an agreement despite significant political efforts. Dassault had until recently claimed a leading role in the project, while Airbus was unwilling to accept the position of a junior partner.
