Anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the European defense industry shows up to Eurosatory, France’s largest defense trade show, held every two years. This week, the industry is once again showcasing its latest advances at the sprawling exhibition grounds in Villepinte, near Paris. More than 2,000 exhibitors mingle with military officials, politicians, and industry professionals.
With order books full, the mood should be upbeat. European governments want to reduce their defense dependency on the United States and are investing hundreds of billions of euros to advance that goal.
However, the prevailing optimism is being tempered by disappointment. Europe’s most ambitious defense project aimed at greater strategic autonomy effectively collapsed just days ago: Germany and France dealt what appears to be a fatal blow to their joint sixth-generation fighter aircraft program. The centerpiece of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) will not be built as a joint project after all.
Is the FCAS flop a watershed moment?
French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin avoided the subject in her opening speech on Monday. Nevertheless, there are growing signs that Paris and Berlin have become deadlocked not only over the fighter jet program, but also their joint battle tank project.
