French planemaker Dassault Aviation rolls out its latest long-range business jet, the Falcon 10X, in Merignac, France, March 10, 2026. TIM HEPHER / REUTERS
The head of France's Dassault Aviation said on Wednesday, April 1 he was giving his company "two to three weeks" to see if the multibillion-euro warplane program with Germany could work as the government tries to salvage the project.
He spoke after French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced determination to rescue the program. Merz said last week that two mediators had been tasked with making a proposal by the end of April.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program is a flagship joint effort to build a next-generation combat aircraft between France, Germany and Spain. But it has faltered as disagreements persist between Dassault and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain.
Read more Subscribers only French-German fighter jet program stalls as industrial reality outpaces political ambition
