The French-German-Spanish warplane programme, the sixth-generation Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS), is "very unlikely" to take off as a recent meeting between the defence ministers of these three countries failed to achieve a breakthrough.
The project, estimated at €100 billion, "a system of systems" touted to be a major leap in European defence, aiming for full collaborative combat by 2040, is unlikely to be realised soon due to multiple reasons.
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A Reuters report, quoting sources, said France was hoping to postpone until next year a decision that Germany had hoped would be finalised by the end of this year.
The three countries had also struggled to reach an agreement on the "combat cloud" and drone systems that are envisaged as part of the FCAS programme.
According to media reports, for quite some time, the three countries have been discussing “downsising” the fighter jet programme, which was expected to integrate enhanced platforms such as the Eurofighter and Rafale, using AI, big data, cryptography, and human-machine interaction.
The Reuters report said that at the core of the disagreement is the desire of French defence contractor Dassault to play a leading role in the project ahead of the German partner Airbus. However, Germany regards this proposal as untenable.
There were also workshare and technology rights disputes between the two firms, say media reports. Dassault is opposed to equal workshare among participating countries as the company believes that it will hinder its ability to lead the new-generation fighter programme, and has called for a "best athlete" model.
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Sources reportedly highlighted that Germany and France need warplanes for different roles. While France requires a warplane capable of carrying nuclear warheads and having the capability to interoperate with its aircraft carrier, Germany has already agreed to procure F-35 warplanes to carry NATO's nuclear warheads.
Recently, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, had said about the programme, "Will it happen? I don't know." When asked about reports that France and Germany could be building two separate jets under a common umbrella as part of the efforts to bridge the differences between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, he had said, "Nobody has talked to me about two aircraft."
"Do France, Germany and Spain completely share a willingness to defend Europe? I think they do. The manner in which this is done — that is more complicated," Trappier had recently said. He also sought to know if Germany, which chose US F-35 fighters for a NATO nuclear-sharing role, was willing to put aside its transatlantic relationship in defence matters.
There were also reports that said Germany — and even Spain — is not averse to the idea of joining the UK-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).