Overview
- Politico, citing four officials in Paris and Berlin, reports the Franco‑German‑Spanish sixth‑generation fighter effort is viewed as effectively dead.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has written to Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeking explanations after reports of Berlin exploring the UK‑Italy‑Japan GCAP.
- German deliberations include dropping the manned‑jet build to keep only the combat‑cloud element, splitting work into separate national jets, or leaving the program entirely.
- Italy signaled openness to potential German participation in GCAP during a 23 January conversation between Merz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to Corriere della Sera.
- Long‑running workshare disputes between Dassault and Airbus stalled progress, a promised 17 December decision was missed, and reports point to a late‑February timeline for a verdict.