Germany and France may try to save their troubled Future Combat Air System by building a shared combat platform while still using their own fighter jets, according to Reuters.
German and French defence ministers are set to meet this week, with talks between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron expected next week.
€100 billion programme
Berlin and Paris have been stuck for months on how to move forward with the €100 billion programme, which was launched eight years ago and has since been slowed by disputes between Dassault and Airbus over responsibilities and technology access.
Berlin sees the project as being in an adaptation phase rather than close to collapse. Both governments now appear open to a structure that keeps the core networked "combat cloud" system joint, while letting each country tailor the aircraft to its own needs, including France's requirements for nuclear missions and carrier operations.