France and Germany Abandon Ambitious FCAS Fighter Initiative

France and Germany have scrapped the €100-billion FCAS fighter project after months of deadlock, opting to preserve non-core elements like the combat cloud while discarding the core manned fighter. The move underscores Europe’s struggle to rebuild military capacity amid underinvestment, with Germany questioning the need for a nuclear-capable, sixth-generation jet and joint leadership among Airbus and Dassault.