As tensions between Airbus and Dassault continue, Germany, France, and Spain seek to define the future of their sixth-generation fighter, the FCAS

The defense ministers of Germany, France, and Spain will meet on December 11 to try to unblock the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the European project aimed at developing a sixth-generation fighter accompanied by drones, valued at around 100 billion euros. The meeting, reported in advance by sources consulted by Reuters, seeks to overcome the industrial conflicts that have stalled the program.

The FCAS — or SCAF, in French — was launched more than eight years ago with the goal of entering into service around 2040 a network-enabled air combat system, in line with the GCAP program pursued by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. However, disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus have halted progress toward the next phase, which includes the creation of a technological demonstrator.

Bloomberg was the first to report on the meeting, which comes after weeks of failed negotiations between the two companies. German sources indicate that Dassault would seek to control 80% of the program, something the French company denies. Meanwhile, French sources accuse Airbus of trying to expand its decision-making power, leveraging its role as the industrial representative for Germany and Spain.

One participant in the preliminary talks stated that the manufacturers remain at odds “without changes.” On Tuesday, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury warned Reuters that “the jury is still out” on the outcome of the discussions, while insisting on maintaining the current governance structure for the next phase. “We don’t want to be in a situation where there is one partner dominating the others and saying ‘do this, do that,’” he said.

Dassault avoided commenting recently, although its CEO, Éric Trappier, has stressed that the company must have decision-making authority over the core of the NGF (Next Generation Fighter), while Airbus should lead the segments related to unmanned systems.

Accumulated tensions

The current discussions add to a series of disagreements publicly exposed in recent months. In July, Trappier openly criticized the FCAS governance structure, stating that a “three-headed leadership” hinders decision-making. “The question is not whether Dassault leaves the program, but whether it can continue under these conditions,” he said during the company’s mid-year earnings presentation. The executive argued that a project of this magnitude needs “an architect with real decision-making authority.”

Meanwhile, reports of a supposed French request to control 80% of the program generated criticism in Germany. Bundestag lawmakers warned that it would be politically unacceptable to fund a project dominated by France. Dassault denied making such a demand, but tensions between partners deepened.

In September, the crisis escalated when a French official said the country is prepared to continue on its own if no agreement is reached. “If we fail to reach an agreement on FCAS, there is no need to worry, France has built, knows how to build, and will build a fighter on its own,” he said in a statement to reporters under condition of anonymity. He also stressed that the 2040 in-service target is “non-negotiable.”

Just days earlier, both Dassault Aviation and Airbus Defence and Space had said they could technically develop the NGF without relying on each other, although doubts remain about France’s financial capacity to sustain the project alone.

Trappier reiterated before French lawmakers that the current distribution of responsibilities could cause delays if not adjusted. “I am not against the project, but when Germany says it is going to exclude France, doesn’t that bother you? (…) Unfortunately, today, if a dynamic of hard power is not created, no results are obtained,” he argued.

A strategic project at risk

FCAS is envisioned as the future replacement for the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, with a combat system based on a manned fighter, accompanying drones, and a combat cloud connecting all platforms. But nearly a decade after its launch, the industrial dispute has left the program at a standstill.

The December 11 meeting will be key in determining whether Germany, France, and Spain can agree on a new governance model that allows progress toward building the demonstrator. The outcome will determine whether Europe maintains a joint development or whether each country pursues separate paths for the next generation of combat aircraft.

Images for illustration purposes only.

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