Ten years of work and efforts by two countries ended without results. This is the joint German-French fighter jet project, which Germany and France decided to finally abandon on June 8, 2026.

From Germany, Auron Dodi, analyst at DW, reports on the details for News24 listing the reasons that led to the cessation of work on the modern aircraft that would make it possible for Germany and France to become independent from American weapons.

News24: The FCAS project, the European fighter jet of the future, has come to an end. Can it be said that Europe failed, or just a certain way of building the aircraft? What exactly was the FCAS project?
A. Didi: The FCAS project, short for Future Combat Air System, is primarily understood as a very modern European fighter jet, which was intended to be built without American spare parts. This was actually the bold idea when this system was conceived. It took 10 years to work on it. Until Monday, June 8, when Berlin informed Paris of the end of the joint project. This was after a long series of disagreements.

The aircraft would be built by Airbus for Germany and Dassault for France. The project was launched politically in July 2017 by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron. Simultaneously with the future tank program, MGCS.

The plane and the system around it were intended to make Germany and France more independent of American weapons. With the end of the project, Spain, which was a third partner, is now also affected.

Why did FCAS fail?
Germany and France cite the same reason, but interpret it differently. Berlin sees the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault — the company that built the French Rafale fighter jet — as an obstacle. Dassault demanded a very large controlling stake in the project. According to the media, Dassault also feared that if it shared the expertise it had gathered in aircraft construction with others, the French advantage would quickly be lost. After the firm hardened its position, Germany finally gave up on pressuring German companies to make concessions.

Paris acknowledges the obstacle from Dassault, but sees the core of the problem in industrial competition. Added to this is the fact that both countries loaded the project with the full weight of friendship. And the expectation, so to speak, "overly romantic", did not withstand the European industrial reality.

Were there other reasons, beyond the dispute with Dassault?
Yes. France wanted a plane that could also carry nuclear weapons, Germany did not have this need; the large-scale introduction of drones into warfare also raised the question of whether such a plane, which would be launched in 2040, is still needed.

Even the German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, admitted: such a project would not be conceived today as it was 10 years ago. He said that major initiatives like this first require a clear industrial base — a consortium like Airbus — and not just political will.

Does France feel "uncomfortable" with the fact of Germany's massive rearmament?
France fears that it will lose its military superiority to Germany. The old Franco-German axis was based on a clear division of roles: France carried the military weight, Germany provided the economic power. German rearmament is now changing this balance.

The French chief of staff, General Fabien Mandon, has warned that within five years, France risks falling behind Germany. In 2022, when the war in Ukraine began, both countries were spending almost the same on defense; but by 2029, Berlin’s military budget will increase and, according to the official plan, will be double that of France: over 150 billion euros (152,8) in Germany, compared to around 73 billion euros in France (72,8 billion euros, the updated budget for 2026 according to official French sources). A senior French military official called this development “unimaginable” in the media.

However, it's not about a threat — no one in Paris calls Germany a danger. It's about status, and the concern that Germany is going it alone: ​​Berlin is investing heavily, including in space.

Meanwhile, Paris, which does not currently have Germany's funds, fears that it will be left behind in the medium term.

Does Germany also feel "uncomfortable" with France, from a military point of view?
I cannot confirm this. The large military budget gives German industry enormous self-confidence and weight. Moreover, not everyone in Europe shares the French fears. In Poland, for example, many see a stronger German army positively — there are more who call it a benefit than those who speak of a risk.

What are the next steps that Germany will take now?
Germany will continue to use the Eurofighter jet. And it aims to save what's left of the plane's design. It is looking for new partners to build the plane; a plan will be presented by July.

Germany will either join the GCAP program — which is building a future competitor to the British, Italians, and Japanese. Or it will start a collaboration with the Swedish manufacturer Saab. Germany aims to have a central role in building this modern, extremely expensive, and complex aircraft.

At the same time: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that the entire German-French partnership should not be called into question because of one project. There are other directions in which the Berlin-Paris axis can contribute to Europe. Let us recall, for example, the last EU summit, when Berlin and Paris offered the Balkan states a gradual rapprochement with the EU.

In short, the joint aircraft is history, not the German-French partnership. Yes, in the future it will probably be a more measured partnership — that makes it even more sustainable.