“A symbol of European failure”: What follows the end of the common fighter jet?

Intermediaries were brought in. In Cyprus, on the sidelines of the EU summit at the end of April, Merz and Macron had a long conversation about possible solutions; there was a direct conversation with Dassault boss Éric Trappier. However, all political efforts have not been fruitful. The final decision was made the day after another Macron-Merz conversation during their London Ukraine meeting on Sunday.

The final line comes only from government circles

Both had “come to the divided assessment that the companies cannot come together when it comes to building a joint fighter aircraft,” government circles said on Monday: “They recognize this reality.” This is the political end to the fighter jet project.

The reactions didn’t take long to arrive. “This is a symbol of the European failure in joint procurement, which is so urgently needed given tight budgets,” said Green Party budget politician Sebastian Schäfer to the Tagesspiegel.

From the perspective of his party colleague Anton Hofreiter, who heads the European Committee, it is the “next serious foreign policy setback”: “In view of the Russian threat and the unreliability of the US government, it is simply irresponsible that the federal government was unable to prevent the failure of FCAS, and shows once again how important a truly European-organized defense is.”

Deputy SPD parliamentary group leader Siemtje Möller describes the end of the fighter jet as “consequential”. “The starting point of the major project was the fair distribution of industrial capacities, technological know-how and financing,” said the former Defense State Secretary: “Dassault was not prepared to do that, even after many attempts at mediation – so this decision is not surprising and only logical.”

FCAS is intended to survive as a system without a standard jet

In her view, it is “by no means the end of FCAS, because FCAS is more than just the fighter aircraft”. In fact, it also includes drones, sensors, ammunition and a “combat cloud” through which various components interact with each other. “This is, so to speak, the nervous system that networks aircraft, drones and other components into an integrated whole,” said the Chancellery on Monday. The “actual core of FCAS is to be continued as a European system of systems”.

This limits the damage a little. At the urging of Merz and Macron, both defense ministries should at least “formulate a common, contemporary work plan for defense-industrial cooperation” by the Franco-German Council of Ministers, which will take place this month, as government circles say, “concentrating on a few realistic, relevant projects.”

Nevertheless, the failure of the fighter jet raises questions that go beyond European political regret. The Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry had promoted a restart with separate jets and a common platform under the motto “Two Fighters – One Program”, as has now been agreed. At the same time, he made it clear that a 6th generation fighter aircraft is important in order to “preserve German military aircraft construction and important key technologies for Europe’s technological and military ability to act in Germany”.

So what are the alternatives? “The expertise in military aircraft construction is available in Germany,” said the defense policy spokesman for the Union faction, Thomas Erndl (CSU), who had long been calling for clarity: “German industry can and must now demonstrate its capabilities.”

“I can only warn against an expensive national alternative to FCAS,” says the Green Shepherd in view of the already very high loan-financed defense spending: “The Chancellor’s “Whatever it takes” must not turn into “Anything goes.”

“It is now important to quickly find suitable partners for the development of the fighter jet,” demands Social Democrat Möller: “European cooperation remains indispensable for key armaments projects.”

Alternatively, Germany could join the Global Combat Air Program, which Great Britain and Japan are pushing forward together with Italy. Sweden, which currently produces Gripen fighter jets, is also interested in collaborating. The Ministry of Defense of Boris Pistorius (SPD) is said to have already felt in anticipation of the now official decision.

It is also likely that the F35 producer Lockheed Martin will soon approach the federal government. The question then becomes whether the divided Europeans, despite all strategic independence considerations, might not prefer to buy more US jets or their successor models.