Decisione sul jet da combattimento franco-tedeschi da prendere entro la fine dell’anno, afferma Merz

BERLIN, Aug 27 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron to take a decision on the future of the Franco-German fighter jet programme FCAS by the end of the year, Merz said on Wednesday.

“This will not be discussed at the upcoming government consultations (on Thursday and Friday in the south of France),” Merz told reporters in Berlin.

“I hope we will find a solution because we need to develop a new fighter jet in Europe,” he added.
Berlin blames French industry for blocking the next phase in the development of the FCAS programme, estimated to cost more than 100 billion euros ($117 billion), by demanding sole leadership of the project, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

France’s Dassault Aviation, which is responsible for the core crewed fighter part of the project, declined to comment.

Airbus and Indra are also involved in the scheme to start replacing French Rafale and German and Spanish Eurofighters with a sixth-generation fighter jet from 2040.

But Berlin and Paris are at odds over the composition of the consortium. France has told Germany it wants a work-share of some 80% in FCAS, a defence industry source told Reuters in July.

The differences jeopardise the launch of the second phase of the programme, targetted by the end of the year: the development of airworthy demonstrators, defence sources said.

At the end of July, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said FCAS needed clearer leadership and organisation as partners move towards the second phase, and that in practice, decisions over key parts of the current design phase were having to be cleared with Airbus, adding complexity and contributing to delays.

On Thursday, Macron is set to receive Merz for dinner at his Bregancon residence on the Mediterranean coast, with ministers joining the talks on Friday in nearby Toulon.

A French presidency official told reporters in a briefing on Monday that the talks would touch upon the “slight” differences surrounding the fighter jet, adding there was a strong resolve by both sides to make the project work.

Germany and France working together on a military project, what could go wrong!!!

Put the fries in the bag already, we all know where it’s going. Germany will keep on buying American and selling EU sovereignty instead of partnering with a capable neighbor. While we’re at it, dismember the MGCS program too (the one on which Germany has gotten the lion’s share due to their expertise on the matter, without any voiced opposition because it’s the right thing to do, play with everyone’s strengths)

I say before giving France and Dassault basically everything we should leave the program. If we can’t profit technologically from the program then there is little point in footing the bill for it. We might as well wait FCAS and GCAP out and buy whatever is more mature and/or cheaper. It will hurt Airbus in Germany but giving Dassault everything will hurt Airbus in Germany anyway.

Ya, FCAS is dead

So is MGCS for that matter

Yes Dassault and Airbus can whine as much as they want but at the end it will be a political decision. So we’re still waiting then.

They keep on pushing back the deadline… it was already supposed to be decided at the government summit at Toulon now. I guess no one wants to be seen pulling the plug.

yeah its dead. glad we can all move on then