The office of French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on June 23 the termination of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint initiative by France, Germany, and Spain aimed at building a sixth-generation fighter jet to replace France's Rafale and the Eurofighter used by Germany, Britain, and others around 2040.
Launched in 2017, with Spain joining two years later, the project had an estimated budget of up to $116 billion. However, negotiations collapsed due to disagreements between the two main contractors: Dassault Aviation (France) and Airbus (representing Germany and Spain) over project leadership and control.
Speaking from the Élysée Palace, French officials said: “German authorities considered that no further pressure could be placed on the companies involved. France will continue to encourage businesses and armed forces to seek ambitious European projects aligned with national security interests.”
The collapse is a major setback for efforts to bolster defense cooperation among European Union member states—an issue that has become critical as US President Donald Trump repeatedly questions Washington's commitment to protecting NATO allies. Trump has for years criticized European NATO members for insufficient defense spending while urging them to reduce reliance on the United States.
Trump’s statements, along with moves such as deploying 5,000 troops to Poland and threatening military action to seize control of Greenland from Denmark, have increased unease within the EU. European leaders fear that a US withdrawal could weaken continental security and encourage Russia to act more aggressively, as the conflict in Ukraine continues, with risks of spillover into the eastern borders of the EU and NATO.
Despite efforts to revive the project, including a recent discussion between President Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, FCAS has been officially scrapped. Analysts say the failure highlights the inherent difficulties in EU defense cooperation, which often runs into obstacles from concerns over NATO implications and competition among the continent’s leading defense industrial groups.
