Overview
- German chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Sunday that the trilateral FCAS programme linking France, Germany and Spain has effectively collapsed.
- Paris and Berlin will now pursue separate fighter plans with Germany reported to be developing an alternative project that could include Spain without French participation.
- Spain was publicly excluded from the decision and has moved to short-term measures, buying five retired Harrier airframes for spare parts to keep carrier aviation viable through 2032.
- Madrid continues to rule out buying the U.S. F-35 and plans to replace its F/A-18s with Eurofighter jets under the Halcón II programme, a choice that could leave the air force operating a single combat type.
- Industry and political clashes between Dassault and Airbus are cited as the proximate cause of the collapse, a result experts say weakens European defence integration and could push more countries toward U.S. platforms like the F-35.