French and German Governments Abandon Joint Fighter Jet Development Project

Jun 8, 2026

France and Germany abandoned the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) joint fighter jet project in June 2026 after Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz concluded on June 6, 2026 in Montenegro that involved companies would not reach agreement. The €100 billion programme, launched in 2017, was intended to replace France's Rafale jets and Germany's Eurofighter by 2040 but was dogged by disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus over leadership and technology sharing.

FCAS project abandonment

▪Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel launched the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) in 2017.
▪France and Germany abandoned the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) joint fighter jet development project in June 2026.
▪The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was intended to replace France's Rafale jets and the Eurofighter used by Germany and Spain by about 2040.
▪Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron discussed the decision to announce an end to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project on June 6, 2026, on the sidelines of a summit between EU and western Balkans leaders in Montenegro.
▪French elections are scheduled for 2027.
▪Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz reached a shared assessment that the companies involved in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project would not be able to come together.

Corporate disagreements

▪The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project was dogged by disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus over leadership and control of the development programme.
▪The head of Dassault Aviation insisted the company could handle the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project alone and did not want it to be co-managed.
▪Dassault Aviation insisted on being the lead partner in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) jet's development in order to protect its intellectual property.
▪Airbus pushed for a more equal partnership in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project involving significant technology transfers.
▪Two mediators, one from France and one from Germany, were tasked in March 2026 with coming up with proposals to rescue the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) initiative but were unable to do so.

Strategic military differences

▪France sought a single European fighter jet model in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.
▪Friedrich Merz has said EU member states do not all have the same military hardware requirements.
▪Germany said its military needs were not the same as France's because French planes needed to carry nuclear weapons and land on aircraft carriers.
▪Friedrich Merz has openly questioned whether developing a crewed sixth-generation fighter jet still makes sense for Germany's air force.

European defence cooperation impact

▪The abandonment of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project is a heavy blow to efforts by European countries to cooperate more closely on defence.
▪The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project was valued at €100 billion.

Continuation of partial elements

▪European sources told Reuters it was possible the development of drones and the high-security combat data cloud elements of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) could continue.
▪A German government source described the core of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) as a nervous system that networks aircraft, drones and other components into an integrated whole.
▪The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme includes a jet fighter, drones, and a high-security combat data cloud.

Perspective of Dassault Aviation

▪The head of Dassault Aviation insisted the company could handle the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project alone and did not want it to be co-managed.
▪Dassault Aviation insisted on being the lead partner in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) jet's development in order to protect its intellectual property.