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NGF Project Nears Collapse Amid Airbus-Dassault Dispute

February 13, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

Industrial codevelopment of NGF is almost certainly headed for collapse.
Negotiations between Airbus and Dassault have halted.
Future Combat Air System faces uncertainty.
Eurodrone program participation by France also uncertain.

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Strategic Implications

The collapse of NGF may indicate significant challenges in European collaborative defense projects, suggesting difficulties in aligning industrial and national interests. This could lead to a reevaluation of the Future Combat Air System's structure and goals, potentially resulting in a more fragmented approach to European defense modernization.

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What Happened

European Fighter Jet Program Faces Uncertain Future

The French-German-Spanish Next-Generation Fighter (NGF) project is on the verge of collapse due to a long-running industrial dispute between Airbus and Dassault over leadership and workshare. The project is a key component of Europe’s Future Combat Air System, which also includes the development of new weapons, drone swarms, and a combat cloud communications network. Despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s assertion that the program is not dead, the future of NGF and FCAS remains uncertain. The situation was reported by Breaking Defense.

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