Germany Eyes Independent Airbus Fighter Jet Project After FCAS Collapse

Germany is considering a range of options, including an independent project with Airbus, after the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme with France was officially cancelled, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday. “There are several options: first, ordering additional F-35 jets as an interim solution; second, joining an existing international project; or creating our own project under German leadership involving Airbus and other partners,” Pistorius told a press conference. He revealed that the German government has been conducting secret negotiations with Airbus for months. Pistorius nevertheless cautioned that it was too early to make a final decision. All options are being assessed, including a fourth option he declined to detail further. On the same day, the Financial Times reported that eight aerospace and defence companies led by Airbus have expressed interest in collaborating to create an alternative project to replace FCAS. The FCAS programme was launched in 2017 to create a future fighter jet to replace France’s Rafale and the Eurofighter used by Germany and Spain. The multibillion-euro project collapsed after Airbus and France’s Dassault failed to resolve a dispute over project leadership.