France and Germany have decided to end a planned joint fighter jet program after disagreements between the defense companies involved proved impossible to resolve, dealing a setback to efforts aimed at strengthening Europe's defense industrial cooperation.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme was launched in 2017 to replace France's Rafale jets and the Eurofighter planes used by Germany and Spain.
The project was seen as a key test of European efforts to work more closely on defense as they seek to present a united front in the face of a hostile Russia at a time of souring ties with the United States.
But the multi-billion-dollar programme was beset by disagreements between the firms involved – France's Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain.
A German government official told AFP that Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron had "reached the shared assessment that the companies will not be able to come together on building a joint combat aircraft.
