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Turbulence in Europe’s next-generation fighter jet project

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 00:03

An Pyeong-eok

The author is a professor of international relations at Daegu University.

The ambitious plan by Germany, France and Spain to develop a next-generation fighter jet — costing more than 100 billion euros ($110 billion) — is facing turbulence. Unless the partners settle their disputes by the end of this year, the second phase of the project will be delayed. France has resisted Germany and Spain’s demand to honor earlier contractual terms, casting doubt on one of Europe’s most significant defense programs.

Despite strong external pressures — from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the return of U.S. President Donald Trump’s "America First" approach — Europe’s efforts to strengthen its own defense remain fraught with difficulty.

French President Emmanuel Macron listens to Eric Trappier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dassault Aviation, as they look at a display model of a Rafale fighter jet at the stand of aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation during a visit at the 55th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 20, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

When French President Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017 at age 39, he called for Europe to free itself from excessive dependence on the United States for security. In a speech at the Sorbonne that September, he proposed strengthening Europe’s defense cooperation to establish “strategic sovereignty.” Germany, which had long worked with France to advance European integration, agreed to co-develop a Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

The FCAS is designed as a comprehensive next-generation combat system. It includes a sixth-generation stealth fighter, advanced drones, a new jet engine and high-tech sensors. The program also envisions “combat cloud” technology — a secure digital network that allows the Army, Navy, Air Force and even space forces to share data in real time. Autonomous drones capable of coordinating missions with pilots are another centerpiece of the design, reflecting lessons from the war in Ukraine. The system is scheduled for deployment in 2040, with prototype testing to begin next year.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz interact as they attend the European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, October 23, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Spain joined the project in 2019, making it a trilateral venture among Europe’s major powers. Initially, progress was sluggish, but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Washington’s declining security engagement in Europe transformed the project into a strategic necessity for the continent’s self-defense.

Still, diverging interests among the three partners have stalled the program. The main contractors are Airbus Defence and Space in Germany, Dassault Aviation in France and Indra Systemas in Spain. Dassault, responsible for developing the new fighter jet, has demanded greater decision-making authority. The French firm argues that the “one country, one vote” rule has slowed the process and prevented it from choosing proven domestic suppliers. Germany and Spain, however, insist that any change to the decision structure would violate the original agreement.

Beyond security goals, each government has domestic motives to protect industrial jobs. While France leads the fighter development, Germany and Spain want to ensure that subcontracting and employment opportunities are fairly distributed, as laid out in the contract. Macron acknowledged the deadlock earlier this month, telling the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that “it is difficult to reach agreement on factory locations and job creation.”

Dassault has leverage. The company developed and exported the Rafale, France’s flagship fighter jet, and CEO Eric Trappier has said it possesses all the technologies necessary to build a sixth-generation fighter on its own. France’s problem is not technology but money: its annual defense budget amounts to only 50 billion euros.

Germany, by contrast, is flush with funds. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office in May, has pledged to spend more than 1 trillion euros over the next 12 years to upgrade infrastructure and defense, with about half earmarked for military spending. Without German financing, even France’s advanced aerospace industry would struggle to move forward — hence Berlin and Madrid’s pressure on Paris to stick to the deal.

Defense ministers from the three countries have met repeatedly to break the deadlock, but progress remains elusive. Some voices in Berlin have begun suggesting that Germany explore other partnerships — either with Sweden or through participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a project jointly led by Britain, Italy and Japan. Launched in December 2022, the GCAP aims to field its new fighter by 2035 and is proceeding smoothly. Yet even the U.K., which has been proactive in security cooperation, is hesitant about Germany joining the project late.

Meanwhile, Macron has faced domestic political fallout over defense spending. His government proposed sharp increases to the military budget by cutting welfare expenditures, prompting public backlash. Prime Minister François Bayrou, who had pushed a 6.7-billion-euro increase in defense funding, was dismissed earlier last month. The new administration scaled back the welfare cuts but maintained the defense spending plan, underscoring Macron’s determination to bolster France’s military capacity.

A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed during the Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan May 21, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Analysts say time is running out. Instead of drifting toward separate paths, they urge Merz and Macron to reach a political compromise before the year’s end. Europe’s defense history offers successful precedents for cooperation. In 1970, France and Germany established Airbus to counter U.S. dominance in the civilian aviation market, with Spain joining a year later. Today, Airbus rivals Boeing as a global leader in commercial aircraft.

A similar joint effort produced the Eurofighter Typhoon, a fourth-generation multirole fighter developed by Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy, which has protected European airspace since 2003. Given this record, many defense experts believe the FCAS partners will eventually find common ground. The outcome will test not just technological prowess but also the political leadership of Europe’s top powers.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.