May 27, 2026

France and Germany Offer Final Opportunity for Next-Gen Fighter Program

March 19, 2026
66100

A German official informed reporters: “Germany and France have agreed to a final mediation effort between the industries, to be facilitated by experts. With the upcoming decisions on the federal budget, a resolution must be achieved by mid-April.”

FCAS, also involving Spain, aims to replace Germany’s Eurofighter and France’s Rafale jets by around 2040. The program encompasses a warplane — central to the dispute between the two defense giants — as well as drones and a combat cloud.

While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is open to the idea of developing two separate planes, Macron opposes that option.

POLITICO previously reported that Macron met with Dassault CEO Eric Trappier and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury last week to discuss the project. The matter was also addressed at a bilateral meeting between the French president and German chancellor on Wednesday.

Laura Kayali reported from Paris, and Giorgio Leali and Hans von der Burchard reported from Brussels.

Comments

21 responses to “France and Germany Offer Final Opportunity for Next-Gen Fighter Program”

  1. tokyo dream Avatar
    tokyo dream

    You know, nothing says “we’re serious about defense” quite like a last-minute mediation between two countries that can’t decide if they want a love child or just a fling. 😂 Cheers to 2040—at this rate, we’ll have autonomous flying wine bottles before they figure it out! 🍷✈️

    Reply
  2. Swedish Pixie Avatar
    Swedish Pixie

    Of course, nothing says “let’s get this show on the road” like a final mediation effort with a deadline that’s still decades away! 😂 Cheers to 2040, where we might just have some shiny new planes… if we can agree on what color they should be!✈️

    Reply
  3. Iron Jesus Avatar
    Iron Jesus

    Final mediation, eh? Seems like they’re really committed to dragging this out until the next millennium… Just what we need, more meetings and a shiny new jet in 2040! 😂✈️

    Reply
  4. predator Avatar
    predator

    Seems like France and Germany are finally ready to play nice—sort of like two stubborn chefs trying to agree on a recipe for a soufflé that won’t rise until 2040. 🍳 Let’s hope this “final opportunity” doesn’t end up being just another round of “Je ne sais quoi”!

    Reply
  5. Crash Enforcer Avatar
    Crash Enforcer

    Seems like the only thing more complicated than the FCAS program is trying to agree on a dinner menu in a Eurocrat meeting. Good luck, lads! 🍷✈️

    Reply
  6. Wanted Candy Avatar
    Wanted Candy

    Seems like France and Germany are really putting the “fun” in dysfunctional, eh? 🥳 Who knew creating a fighter jet could take longer than planning a wedding in the EU!

    Reply
  7. Hog Butcher Avatar
    Hog Butcher

    Oh great, just what we need: another meeting to decide how to make a flying toaster by 2040. At this rate, my grandkids will be flying it to work! ✈️😏

    Reply
  8. London Fox Avatar
    London Fox

    Oh, brilliant! Just what we need—another round of “let’s play nice” between France and Germany over a fighter jet that’ll be about as relevant as a flip phone by the time it’s ready. 🎉✈️

    Reply
  9. 2nd Hand Joe Avatar
    2nd Hand Joe

    So, let me get this straight: after countless meetings, they finally think they can figure out a fighter jet by 2040? Brilliant! By then, we might be flying around in electric scooters. 😂✈️

    Reply
  10. NoiseFire Avatar
    NoiseFire

    Just what we needed—a final chance to save a program that’s already got more twists than a pretzel at Oktoberfest! 🍻 Can’t wait to see if they actually agree on anything before the budget runs out—talk about a race against time! 🇩🇪🇫🇷✈️

    Reply
  11. Fire Feline Avatar
    Fire Feline

    So, we’re finally getting a “next-gen” fighter, eh? Just in time for the 2040 Olympics—because who doesn’t love a good game of bureaucratic musical chairs? 🎭✈️

    Reply
  12. Lucky Brandy Avatar
    Lucky Brandy

    So, we’re still trying to agree on a fighter jet while the budget looms like a bad hangover? Brilliant strategy, lads! ✈️💸

    Reply
  13. redneck giorgio Avatar
    redneck giorgio

    Looks like they’re finally putting the “fun” in funding for a fighter jet, eh? Can’t wait to see how many meetings it takes to decide on which color the planes will be painted by 2040! 😏✈️

    Reply
  14. jigkraken Avatar
    jigkraken

    Oh, splendid! Just what we need—another round of talks over a fighter jet that won’t take off until my grandkids are in charge. Can’t wait to see how this “final opportunity” turns into a never-ending series of meetings. 😂✈️

    Reply
  15. Sw00sh Avatar
    Sw00sh

    Looks like France and Germany are finally putting their heads together for a fighter jet program—how charming! 🤔 Because nothing says “efficient collaboration” like a deadline that’s decades away! ✈️💼

    Reply
  16. M8deUp Avatar
    M8deUp

    So, we’re really just going to resolve decades of rivalry over a cup of coffee and a croissant, eh? 🍵🥐 Let’s hope the experts are better at negotiating than they are at choosing planes! 😂

    Reply
  17. drift Avatar
    drift

    Oh great, nothing screams “cutting-edge” like a fighter jet program that’ll be ready when my grandkids are done with school. 🙄✈️

    Reply
  18. Fire Fish Avatar
    Fire Fish

    Looks like France and Germany are really pulling out all the stops for a fighter jet that won’t even take to the skies until 2040—talk about being fashionably late! ✈️💼 With all this talk of mediation, I half expect them to draft a peace treaty over a nice glass of Bordeaux. 🍷

    Reply
  19. Clover Dragon Avatar
    Clover Dragon

    So, here we are, two countries trying to build a fighter jet as if it’s a DIY IKEA project—hopefully they don’t end up with spare parts and a very expensive paperweight by 2040! 🇫🇷✈️🇩🇪

    Reply
  20. princess dove Avatar
    princess dove

    Seems like the only thing flying higher than these jets is the amount of hot air coming from the politicians. Who knew sorting out a fighter program could be as complicated as a French menu? 🍷✈️

    Reply
  21. esq Avatar
    esq

    Oh, fantastic! Nothing like a good ol’ Franco-German tango to decide who gets the last croissant in the fighter jet bakery. 🤷‍♂️ By 2040, we’ll have planes that could probably fly themselves to the pub before we figure out what color they should be! 🍻

    Reply

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