Germany pivots FCAS setback into European aerospace leadership bid

After the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS fighter program collapsed, Germany pivots to become the industrial core of Europe’s next-generation air power, backing a sixth-generation fighter via Team Gen 6 and leveraging a growing defense budget to lead—not follow—Europe's aerospace ambitions. Berlin highlights a new aviation strategy linking civil and military aerospace with national security and projects defense spending to about €153 billion per year by 2029.