France demands 80% share in FCAS 6th generation fighter jet program
July 9, 2025
France is pushing for as much as an 80% share of the work of designing the Franco-German-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS) 6th-generation fighter jet program. If a compromise can’t be reached, this could spell the end of Franco-German cooperation on the program.
France pushes for 80% share of FCAS
Observers have noted tension between France and Germany in developing the advanced FCAS fighter jet programme. Now, according to a new report by the respected German news outlet Hartpunk and confirmed by Reuters, France is asking for an 80% share of the project.
Reuters reported on July 7th that France has told Germany it wants to have an 80% input share into the ambitious project. This would effectively tear up previous agreements between the two countries and make the project a French one.
In light of this new push by France to essentially take control of the FCAS program, Hartpunkt suggested this could be the final ‘nail in the coffin’ for cooperation between Germany and France on the project.
The publication reported Germany would not go on funding a French project with German money.
A squabble-plagued partnership
While the US Air Force F-47 plans to be operational around 2030 and the British-led Tempest/GCAP fighter is slated for 2035, FCAS is not expected until deep in the 2040s. The project has been repeatedly delayed due to disagreements between France and Germany over the jet.
Rumours have circulated for some time that Germany might be considering leaving the FCAS program and joining the British-led Tempest/GCAP program. Germany has previously rebutted these rumors and reaffirmed it is dedicated to the program.
Should Germany leave the project, it is unclear if it would join with the rival Tempest/GCAP program. That program is being developed by the UK, Japan, and Italy, and those countries have sought to attract the investment of other countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Currently, the main contractors involved in FCAS are Dassault from France, Airbus from Germany, and Indra Sistemas from Spain. Belgium is also joining the program, although France and Germany remain the dominant members.
For some, the FCAS saga feels like deja vu. The Dassault Rafale and the European Eurofighter Typhoon were initially the same project. However, France left the project to develop its own jet after disagreements with the UK, Germany, and Italy.
France’s dream of strategic autonomy
France has a history of strategic autonomy. Whereas other countries like the UK are content to develop advanced technologies in cooperation with its allies, France has long sought to develop its advanced systems independently.
It’s no secret that France would like to develop a 6th-generation fighter independently. The shared cost and complexity of these systems will tax the budget and industry base of any country to the limit. Developing 6th-generation fighters is something almost no country in the world can do independently besides the United States and China.
This has forced France to partner with Germany to develop FCAS. Adding to the bickering is that France has an aircraft carrier and is planning to build a new aircraft carrier. France will likely want a variant of the FCAS to be carrier-capable.
This is a requirement Germany and other partners do not have, and will add a huge amount of complexity and cost to the program. In the US, the Air Force and Navy have separate 6th-generation programs. Developing the conventional 5th-generation F-35A and carrier-capable F-35C essentially resulted in two separate aircraft.
It is unclear if France will have the resources it needs to develop a 6th-generation fighter jet alone. Such a massive project has the potential to make or break the relevant industry of a country.
