France has told Germany it wants a workshare of some 80% in the joint Franco-German fighter jet FCAS, a defence industry source told Reuters, backing up a report by respected German defence publication Hartpunkt.
The project, with an estimated volume of more than 100 billion euros, has been plagued by delays and infighting over workshare and intellectual property rights between France and Germany as well as their respective national industries.
France’s Dassault Aviation (AM.PA), opens new tab, Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab and Indra – the latter two representing Germany and Spain, respectively – are involved in the scheme to start replacing French Rafale and German and Spanish Eurofighters with a fifth-generation fighter jet from 2040.
A spokesperson for the German defence ministry said that the intergovernmental agreements on the FCAS development remained the binding framework for Berlin’s participation in the programme. He referred all questions regarding the French perspective to the French side.
An Airbus spokesperson declined to comment but said the company remained committed to FCAS and all previous agreements. “The coming months until the end of the year will be crucial to swiftly launch the actual development phase of the program,” he added.
Should France follow through with its demand of an 80% workshare, this would scrap the agreed division of tasks, the source said, adding the resulting differences among project partners would make it unlikely that the project can enter its next phase as scheduled by the end of the year.
Tasks and workshare have been split up so far along specific pillars of the project such as the development of the aircraft itself, the engine, accompanying remote carrier and the air combat cloud, the digital backbone connecting the systems.
Shifting workshares could mean a setback for German companies such as Hensoldt (HAGG.DE) and MTU French President Emmanuel Macron and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel first announced plans in July 2017 for FCAS, which will include a fighter jet and a range of associated weapons, including drones.
In past years, the project – originally meant to unify Europeans after the migration crisis and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union – has been a source of tension between France and Germany.
In 2022, Macron cancelled a joint Franco-German ministerial meeting over disagreements with Berlin on a wide range of issues including defence and energy projects.
Should Paris not back away from its 80% demand, this might constitute the last “nail in the coffin” of the joint project as Berlin could not accept such a wish and go on funding a French project with German money, German lawmaker Christoph Schmid, a member of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’ Social Democratic Party, told Hartpunkt.
The works council at Airbus Defence & Space has called a union meeting for Monday in Manching, the most important plant for the Eurofighter production, according to a second source.
The latest turmoil surrounding FCAS is likely to fuel fresh speculation over a merger of the program with the rival GCAP project, in which Britain, Italy and Japan are seeking to develop, design and build an advanced stealth jet.
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