German Chancellor Vows to Save Troubled European Fighter Jet Program

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Friday to do everything possible to rescue the struggling FCAS fighter jet program being developed with France and Spain. The 100-billion-euro project faces uncertainty due to disputes between French and German aerospace companies over project control.

BERLIN, March 27 – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged Friday to exhaust all efforts to rescue the troubled FCAS fighter jet program being developed jointly with France and Spain, while pushing for enhanced collaboration across Europe’s defense manufacturing sector.

Speaking at a conference organized by the FAZ newspaper, Merz emphasized the critical importance of the defense industry to Germany’s economic future. “The future of German industry is now at stake, and this industry is heavily dependent on the defence sector,” the chancellor stated, declaring he would “fight until the very last moment” for collaborative European initiatives like FCAS.

Merz announced that two mediators – one French and one German – have been designated to develop solutions for ensuring the program’s continuation by the conclusion of next month.

The ambitious initiative to create an advanced air combat system faces potential collapse due to a public disagreement over project leadership between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which serves as the representative for Germany and Spain in the massive 100-billion-euro undertaking.

Additionally, the chancellor revealed that Germany’s government plans to acquire an ownership position in KNDS, the Franco-German manufacturer of Leopard tanks, aiming to maintain strategic influence before the company’s anticipated public offering later this year, which could value the firm between 20-25 billion euros.

Previous Reuters reporting from February indicated that Berlin was preparing to purchase a minority ownership stake of at least 25.1% in KNDS, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.