German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that he is committed to salvaging the troubled FCAS fighter jet programme with France and Spain, emphasizing the importance of European defence cooperation for Germany's industrial future. "I will fight until the very last moment for joint European projects like FCAS," Merz said at a conference hosted by the FAZ newspaper.
The futuristic air combat system project faces uncertainty amid a public dispute over control between France's Dassault Aviation and Germany's and Spain's representative, Airbus, in the 100-billion-euro programme. Two moderators, one from France and one from Germany, have been appointed to propose solutions to secure the project's future by the end of next month.
Merz also said the German government plans to purchase a stake in KNDS, which produces Leopard tanks, aiming to maintain influence ahead of a planned listing later this year valued at 20-25 billion euros.