Paris (AFP) – France is in a position to develop a next-generation combat aircraft alone should negotiations with Germany and Spain fail, a government official said Wednesday. The statement comes a day after the head of French defence company Dassault said his firm could build the future European fighter jet by itself, as tensions persist with Germany over the multi-billion-euro project.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme was launched in 2017 to replace France’s Rafale jet and the Eurofighter planes used by Germany and Spain. But the scheme, jointly developed by the three countries, has stalled as disagreements grow between Dassault and Airbus, which represents German and Spanish interests. The partners have sparred over questions of project leadership and how to divide up production.
“Should we indeed not succeed in finding agreement on the programme’s reorganisation, France will be able to build a fighter aircraft on its own,” said the official, who asked not to be identified. This did not mean, the official added, that such a project would be “entirely French.” Analysts estimate it will cost 100 billion euros ($118 billion) to develop the new jet and its cutting-edge technologies, scheduled to be operational in 2040.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took power in May, have been at pains to boost the political partnership at the heart of the European Union, at a time when US President Donald Trump has rocked transatlantic ties. Both European leaders have expressed support for the fighter jet project, but tensions between the two aerospace contractors have marred cooperation.
In late August, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged France to break the impasse over the jet programme, saying “the project cannot tolerate any more delay.”
© 2024 AFP
