Germany and France have abandoned their collaboration to develop a new-generation fighter jet, following prolonged disagreements among the companies leading the project, German officials said.
The decision to discontinue the joint effort was reached after talks last week between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting held on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro, according to sources cited by Reuters.
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The main parties involved in the project, Airbus representing German and Spanish interests and France’s Dassault Aviation, were unable to come to an agreement over key issues, officials said.
Merz has informed Macron that there is no prospect of resolving the impasse, and advised that plans for the joint aircraft should not move forward, according to German officials.
Macron’s office also confirmed separately that the main industry partners could not reach an agreement.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) was initiated in 2017 by Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to develop an advanced aircraft to succeed the Rafale and Eurofighter by around 2040.
The programme, valued at around €100bn ($115bn), was considered the most extensive defence project in Europe.
However, ongoing disagreements over responsibilities and intellectual property have stalled progress, with reports suggesting Dassault sought a leading role to protect its technology, while Airbus advocated for a partnership based on shared technological development.
In addition, unresolved differences between the governments persisted over the aircraft’s configuration, as France supported a single European model with nuclear and carrier capabilities, whereas Germany preferred a design adapted to its requirements, which did not include these features.
The decision to abandon the programme comes closely after Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn had indicated that a complete failure of the FCAS programme was unlikely, despite unresolved disputes.
According to a Reuters report from 27 May 2026, some parts of the programme, such as the networking systems for weapons and a drone project, are expected to continue.
In separate development, an industry group led by Airbus reportedly submitted a position paper to the German government, outlining its proposal for contributing to a potential sixth-generation jet programme.
Known as “Team Gen 6”, the consortium includes Airbus Defence and Space, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Liebherr, MBDA, MTU Aero Engines and Rohde & Schwarz.
