European Defense Partners Face Growing Tensions Over Next-Gen Fighter

France and Germany are considering scaling back their involvement in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, according to a report from the Financial Times. The two governments may cancel the joint New Generation Fighter (NGF) component and focus on the ‘combat cloud’ architecture instead. This decision follows persistent disagreements between key industrial partners, including Airbus Defence and Space and Dassault Aviation. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have urged their defense ministers to find a compromise, but a political decision is expected before the end of 2025.