Jean-Brice Dumont, head of airpower at Airbus Defence and Space told reporters today that despite the FCAS fighter collapse, "we have not wasted our time," stressing that technologies linked to the defunct plane can be reused.

France and Germany have decided to abandon the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program, according to multiple media reports citing French and German government sources.

As well as disputes over control of the next phase of development and access to intellectual property, the two sides had widely differing requirements for the aircraft.