After the end of FCAS: Eight German defense companies forge alliance for new fighter jet

Background: The failed German-French major project

The backdrop to this initiative is the end of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), one of the largest European defense projects in recent years. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of the multi-billion-euro fighter jet project after a long struggle. FCAS was originally agreed between Germany and France in 2017 and was intended to replace the Eurofighter in Germany and the Rafale in France.

At its core, the negotiations failed due to the lack of agreement between the industrial partners Dassault and Airbus. The two sides were unable to find a common line for years, which ultimately led to the abandonment of the overall project. However, on the sidelines of the ILA, Merz emphasized that part of FCAS should be continued – namely the so-called Combat Cloud, through which "die unterschiedlichste Waffensysteme vernetzt werden sollen".

Spanish industry forms up in parallel

In parallel, according to the companies, a closely intertwined alliance is also forming on the Spanish side: "Eng verzahnt mit den deutschen Partnern formiert sich auch die spanische Industrie mit den Unternehmen Indra, Airbus Defence and Space, Grupo Oesia, GMV, ITP und Sener". This would see the Berlin-Madrid axis position itself as the industrial core of a new project, while France would likely assume a different role going forward.

The most likely next step is considered to be that Airbus and its seven cooperation partners, together with the Spanish alliance, will seek a collaboration with Swedish manufacturer Saab in order to incorporate its Gripen fighter jet as a technological basis or at least as an industrial-policy point of reference. Saab has long been regarded in the industry as a possible third European pillar of the next generation of fighter aircraft.

Saab and the reach for the successor

With the strategy paper, the eight companies are making their voices heard early in a political debate that will determine the future direction of European air defense. The signatories emphasize that Germany must assume a leadership role in air defense and point to the experience of the participating companies in the fields of propulsion technology, sensors, armament, and reconnaissance.

It remains unclear how the German government and the EU Commission will respond to the initiative. At the ILA, Merz did reaffirm the desire to continue the Combat Cloud, but made no commitment on a successor fighter jet. Observers therefore also interpret "Team Gen 6"'s initiative as a signal to politicians that industry is ready should Berlin wish to set its own accents in European defense cooperation.

Industry seeks a united front with policymakers

The end of FCAS is regarded as a significant turning point in European defense policy. The project was intended to create a joint major program that would secure Europe's military air superiority in the long term and reduce dependence on the United States. The fact that it has now failed precisely because of the cooperation between the two largest industrial nations in Europe is fueling doubts about the EU's ability to jointly shoulder complex major weapons projects.

The coming months will show whether the industry alliance will actually lead to concrete program negotiations or whether it will remain a political signal for the time being. Observers expect that possible talks with Saab and the Spanish side are unlikely to become more concrete before autumn 2026 at the earliest – and that the German government will have to define its position on this within the current year.