Overview
- France and Germany, which met Friday in Nicosia, told their defense ministries to keep working on the joint Future Combat Air System in the coming weeks.
- Mediators were granted a 10‑day extension to April 28 after talks stalled over who owns critical know‑how and how to split factory work.
- French President Emmanuel Macron said the project is not dead, while a German spokeswoman said next steps should be set in the weeks ahead.
- Officials are weighing fallback paths that could keep shared work on engines, drones, and a digital network linking sensors, even if each country builds its own jet.
- The €100 billion program with Spain aims to replace Rafale and Eurofighter fleets around 2040 and is a test of Europe’s plan to build key defense systems without outside dependence.