France can't override Dassault CEO on FCAS says German defence minister

The French government is not able to independent decide on its role in the next-generation fighter jet project FCAS, as its aviation company Dassault “also plays an obviously central role,” German defence minister Boris Pistorius told media on Friday.

A dispute between France and Germany’s aviation giants has stalled progress on the whole Future Air Combat System (FCAS) project, worth €100 billion and set to develop a next-generation air combat system by 2040. The German and French governments have set a deadline to resolve the conflict by the end of the year.

“But as we all know, this is not a matter for the French government alone to decide; Mr Trappier of Dassault also plays an obviously central role, at least in public communications,” Pistorius said on Friday.

Dassault, France’s prime contractor in the €100 billion project, has made clear that it wants a dominant role in developing the jet part of the aviation combat system, even mentioning that it would rather develop a next-generation fighter on its own than continue working with Germany’s Airbus Defence.

Originally, defence ministers from the three partner countries of FCAS, Germany, France, and Spain, were due to meet in Berlin in October to chart a way forward. This meeting was postponed due to repeat reshuffles of the French government.

Pistorius said that he talked to his new French counterpart Catherine Vautrin last week, during which she expressed her intention to stick to the project.

In parallel, Vautrin said on Friday that there is urgency in the project ahead of a meeting with Spain’s minister of defence.

Earlier in the week, Spain greenlighted a payment to the project, a clear sign that Madrid also wants to see FCAS development continue.

“Over the next few weeks, we will have to decide where the journey can take us and what solutions are available,” Pistorius said, determined to have a decision regardless of its outcome by the end of the year.

(cp)