Politico: FCAS Next-Gen Fighter Program on the Brink of Collapse

According to Politico, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) next-generation fighter program, involving France, Germany, and Spain, is on the brink of collapse. A French MP estimates that "FCAS is dead, everyone knows it, but no one wants to say it."

The program concerned the production of new fighter aircraft to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale. An official familiar with Emmanuel Macron's thinking stated that "an announcement that the program is ending is more likely than a restart."

The failure of the program would be a serious political blow to Macron, who launched the program in 2017 with Angela Merkel. The problems reflect the difficulties of European defense industrial cooperation. At the heart of the conflicts is the dispute between Dassault and Airbus regarding the drone and the leadership of the Next Generation Fighter (NGF).

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering various options, including ending German participation. At the same time, interest in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan, has increased. Giorgia Meloni is reportedly positive about the possibility of Germany joining GCAP.

Macron sent a letter to Merz asking for his position on FCAS. German officials insist that the country wants to maintain parts of the program, even if the fighter is eventually separated.