Germany, France and Spain will attempt this week to end a long-running dispute over Europe's next-generation fighter jet program, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The €100 billion project, seen as central to Europe's defense ambitions during the war in Ukraine, has stalled for years due to industrial infighting.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and France's Catherine Vautrin meet in Berlin on Thursday, with Spain's Margarita Robles joining on Friday. At the heart of the deadlock is a split between France's Dassault Aviation and Airbus over how key technologies and manufacturing work should be shared.
Political leaders are now stepping in
As we reported a few days ago, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to address the issue directly when they meet next week. Some German lawmakers say refocusing the program on data-sharing systems and unmanned aircraft, the so-called "Combat Cloud", could offer a way forward.
Tensions rose further after Germany's IG Metall union threatened to withdraw cooperation if Dassault remains involved, accusing the company of insisting on sole project leadership. French industry bodies rejected the idea of excluding French interests from the program.
Despite the dispute, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said he remains confident the project will move ahead, though the partners must still agree on how they will work together. EU leaders meet December 17-19, and Berlin has said it wants clarity on the program's future by the end of the year.