Russian violations of the “NATO” airspace in Eastern Europe may have become an almost daily occurrence and the leaders of France and Germany do not cease to swear together “jointly”defense“Epirus, but they can probably find them in practice in the financial” sharing “for profits from the production of the planned European fighter aircraftof Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS).
According to a Handelsblatt report, Doubts in Airbus and German policy on the development of this fighter aircraft are increasing, as the German dassault aircraft manufacturer and the Dassault aircraft manufacturing company, which are supposed to promote Europe’s largest defensive project, have not so far been in agreement.
However, many voices attach great importance to the work. Michael Schöllhorn, head of Airbus’s defense section, told Handelsblatt: “Germany and Europe need an next generation air battle system and Airbus is ready to develop such a system.” And Thomas Robamk (CDU), chairman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, points out: “We cannot and should not do without this basic technology – neither military nor in terms of industrial policy.”
However, negotiations between Airbus and Dassault have been stuck for months. This is already causing dissatisfaction with the workforce. “Employees in Germany want clarity,” Thomas Pretzl, head of the Airbus Defense and Space Council, told Handelsblatt. A decision on the FCAS future must be taken soon.
Pretzl believes “That FCAS will come without Dassault.” A partnership is based on cooperation, not competition. “There are more attractive and suitable partners in Europe,” says the President of the Workers Council.
FCAS is designed as a network of fighter aircraft, drones and a data platform. The system is intended not only for the protection of European airspace, but also for the technological separation of Epirus from its dependence on America. Only the cost of growth is expected to rise to tens of billions, but the system will not grow before 2040. Very slow and very expensive, critics say.
“We make no progress with this project,” Chancellor Friedrich Mertz (CDU) complained during a visit to Spain last Thursday, September 19, 2025. “Things cannot continue as they are now.” They will try to find a solution by the end of the year “so that this project can really be implemented”. According to industry sources, a decision could be taken as early as October.
Spain is the third partner in the FCAS network, along with France and Germany. Contracts stipulate that the German and Spanish industries will receive almost half of the added value of the project.
Reportedly, Dassault recently claimed 80% of the added value of the aircraft, which is the key element of FCAS. Although Dassault is challenging this amount, CEO Eric Trapei confirms his company’s leading role in the development of the aircraft.
Equipment
Mertz and French President Emmanuel Macron had ordered the defense ministers to seek a solution to the impassable dispute. Ultimately, FCAS is intended to be a symbol of functional European cooperation, similar to that of Airbus with the construction of political aircraft. Howeverthe complex consortium structure between the German sections of Airbus and the Dassault Competitive Group supplies repeatedly rivalries and mistrust.
The two sides have been removed in recent months. Additional, France has paralyzed politically. Former French Defense Minister Sebastian Lekorini was appointed a new French prime minister on September 9 – but has no majority in parliament or budget. According to the project’s plan, to make progress in FCAS, this year a multi -billion -euro development contract with stable industrial division of labor should be approved this year.
The stakes are high. Russian fighter jets violate the airspace along the eastern border of NATO almost daily. Today, with French Rafale and Eurofighter, Europeans have powerful aircraft that can effectively intercept Russian aircraft. The industry is mainly upgrading them with digital capabilities. However, European aircraft developed in the 1990s.
In the meantime, more and more European countries are buying the F-35 from the US company Lockheed Martin, which has stealth capabilities and higher digital capabilities. Germany has also ordered three F-35 dozen, which can be equipped with US nuclear bombs in the event of an emergency. One disadvantage: Only the US has complete control of the aircraft software. Another: European defense spending flows to the US industry.
FCAS was intended to be a better choice for Europeans. But while the project, which started in 2017, does not make progress, other manufacturers have made further progress. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the need for new ideas and technologies has increased. Therefore, not only Russia and the US are working on new fighter aircraft and drones. Further projects are also ongoing in Europe.
The Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) is the name of the common work between BAE Systems by Great Britain, Leonardo from Italy and Mitsubishi from Japan. The GCAP’s intensive development phase has not yet begun. At the London DSEI weapons report in September, GCAP’s three partners stressed their willingness to include additional companies and countries-Germany-Germany, with its high defensive budget, would probably be welcome. After all, the higher the partners’ cycle, the lower the cost by country.
Experts advise Airbus to change course. “If the FCAS project continues to grow at the current pace, we will have an outdated system by 2050,” says aviation expert Michael Santo. “The French simply set a standard demanding 80% of the project. And the Germans are surprised and show the contracts. ” It would be financially irresponsible to continue building the FCAS future. “Airbus Defense needs a strong partner. Bae would not be a bad choice. “
A collaboration with the British and Italian industry would be a natural choice. Airbus, Bae Systems and Leonardo make the Eurofighter jointly. The French industry retired from the project in the 1990s and developed Rafale. The Eurofighter and Rafale have since been tough competitors on the world market. This is one of the reasons for the great distrust between Airbus and Dassault.
Using BAE Systems and Leonardo, Airbus could be based on established processes from Eurofighter production. The disadvantage: Airbus and German industry are part of the consortium relatively slowly, but due to their industrial size and expected large orders to Bundeswehr, industry circles say they should play a strong role.
In fact, with the largely lifting of the debt brake for defensive projects, Germany has a higher financial margin than Great Britain and Italy. The company could work with other partners in Europe, says Pretzl Workers Council Chairman. “Theoretically, we could also develop our own fighter aircraft in Germany.”
Saab would be a possible new partner
A German internal development is considered unlikely. Therefore, another option is discussed in the German industry: Saab. The Swedish defense company manufactures Gripen, a fighter aircraft comparable to the Eurofighter, which has also been handed over to South Africa, Brazil and Thailand. Germany has many links to the project and relationships are considered excellent. Sweden has been a member of NATO since 2024 and, like Germany, massively increases its defense spending.
For example, Airbus’s subsidiary, MBDA, supplies directed rockets for Gripen weapons. In March, the Swedish government announced that it will also upgrade the Gripen to bring the latest version of the Cruise rocket “Taurus”. In June, the newly formed Helsing Defense Company based in Munich, who specializes in artificial intelligence (AI), successfully tried an AI factor for air battle called “Centaur” in a Gripen.
Thus, the foundations have been laid for a common air battle system of the future. In addition, since Eurofighter and Gripen developed in the 1990s, their updates and the introduction of a possible successor could be synchronized.
Today (23.9.25) Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will meet with his Swedish counterpart Pal Johnson. According to the Bloomberg Financial Service, one issue is the upgrade of the Eurofighter with SAAB technology. The modernized Eurofighters of the Bundeswehr could then operate with larger drones – similar to the idea of FCAS. Airbus has collaborated with US supplier Kratos and plans to hand them over to the German Armed Forces since 2029.
In addition, the Eurofighter could remain in production even more than it was originally estimated. Spain and Italy have ordered new aircraft, and Germany is also planning to order at least 20 more in October. In addition, there are requests for exports from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. “In the past, we were struggling to maintain the necessary production rate of ten aircraft a year,” says Airbus defense, Solhorn. “Now we double the rate pending further orders.”
New Eurofighter orders and thriving activity with tanker aircraft and IDs give Airbus Defense new field of action. Satellite losses recently forced Schöllhorn to cut 2,500 of its nearly 33,000 jobs worldwide. With new Eurofighter orders and starting a new FCAS, a new momentum could emerge.
However, German politicians are not ready to reject the French-German FCAS system. “What is currently preventing the project is not technical restrictions, but national industrial interests,” says CDU Politician Robababas. It expects that the political issues regarding the future development of the program will have been resolved by the end of the year at the latest. “The goal of our security policy should not be derailed by trivial industrial policies.”