France: Aircraft manufacturer doubts the success of fighter jet project FCAS

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday. The meeting serves above all to prepare the Franco-German Ministerial Council in autumn, but is overshadowed by current crises. This also includes the conflict about the work shares of the French and German armaments industry for the planned Aircraft system FCAS.

Because the French-German-Spanish fighter jet project is in danger to the head of the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The project needs a clearer leadership role and better organization, said Dassault boss Eric Trappier on Tuesday at the half-year-press conference. Decisions about important parts of the current design phase would have to be coordinated with the partner Airbus, which made the work more complicated and leading to delays.

When asked whether Dassault threatens with an exit, Trappier said the future of the fighter jet was at stake. “It’s not about leaving the project, but deciding whether it will continue or not,” he said. He rejected reports that the control of 80 percent is striving for.

According to the previous agreements, France, Germany and Spain are to be involved in the development of the successor of the German Eurofighter and the French Rafale as well as several associated weapons systems, which is due to be launched in 2040. With this, Europeans want to make themselves more independent of the United States. In France, Dassault Aviation is in charge of the project, Airbus and Spain Indra in Germany. However, the work shares between the countries were always a problem within the Franco-German group Airbus. Common European armaments projects usually lasted too long in the past and became too expensive.