What Happened
European Defense Cooperation Faces Challenges Amid US Tensions
The Berlin Air Show is set to welcome over 100,000 visitors, with the troubled Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program and its supporting New Generation Fighter (NGF) component expected to be a central theme. The program’s uncertainty, amid a bitter industrial dispute over workshare between Airbus and Dassault, may lead to a reevaluation of partnerships and collaborations. Meanwhile, deteriorating transatlantic relations, embodied by President Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on NATO, may color the conference. According to Breaking Defense, Germany is committed to becoming Europe’s most capable conventional army, with a massive €377 billion long-term rearmament plan.