France and Germany said on Monday they had agreed to abandon a joint fighter jet programme due to disagreements between the companies involved, in a blow to European efforts to boost defence cooperation.

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme was launched in 2017 to replace France’s Rafale jets and the Eurofighter planes used by Germany and Spain.

The project was seen as a key test of European efforts to work more closely on defence as they seek to present a united front in the face of a hostile Russia at a time of souring ties with the United States.

But the multi-billion-dollar programme was beset by disagreements between the firms involved – France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain.

A German government official told AFP that Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron had “reached the shared assessment that the companies will not be able to come together on building a joint combat aircraft.

“They acknowledge this reality.”

The official however said other parts of the wide-ranging project will continue.

“The actual core of FCAS is to be continued as a European system,” the official said, describing it as a “nervous system that networks aircraft, drones and other components into an integrated whole”.

The French and German defence ministries are set to draw up a plan for defence cooperation “focused on a few realistic and relevant projects” at a forthcoming meeting, the official added.

‘Inability of industrial partners’

In Paris, a Elysée official confirmed Berlin’s announcement.

Macron and Merz “held lengthy and frequent discussions on ways to advance this project, which is important for European defence”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“They each expressed regret over the inability of the industrial partners to reach an agreement on continuing the project,” the official added.

The Elysée official said France believed that defence and security cooperation between the two countries was necessary.

“The French authorities will continue to encourage our companies and our armed forces to seek out the ways and means to pursue ambitious European projects that are consistent with our national security interests.”

Cédric Perrin, chief of the foreign affairs and defence committee at the French Senate, said that Macron “was the only one who still believed in the survival of FCAS”.

“The sooner the decision is made, the less time we will waste moving on to the next phase,” he told AFP.

Airbus and Dassault were not immediately available for comment.

The announcement comes despite calls for Europe to integrate its fragmented militaries more closely as geopolitical turmoil worsens.

Source: France 24