Will fresh FCAS talks resolve political turmoil?
The FCAS programme aims to develop a next-generation air combat system to equip European forces. (Photo: Airbus)
German, French and Spanish leadership set an end-of-year deadline to decide the fate of the Future Combat Air System programme which has struggled with a political stalemate for the latter half of 2025.
The outcome of a first round of talks between defence leaders from France, Spain and Germany to discuss the stalled Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme has not been revealed by the three ministers present, with a second round of discussions to take place this week.
Rumours of political and industrial tensions began in 2023 after UK media reported that Germany could walk away from the programme due to concerns over the direction of the project and growing interest in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which is a multinational initiative between the UK, Japan and Italy to also develop a next-generation
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![German Navy in “ramp-up” phase as it welcomes first NH90 Sea Tiger delivery]()
German Navy in “ramp-up” phase as it welcomes first NH90 Sea Tiger delivery
With all 31 aircraft set to be delivered by 2030, the helicopters will gradually replace the ageing Sea Lynx fleet which are due to be retired in 2026.
-
![Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters]()
Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters
The order for the extra helicopters comes from an agreement penned in December 2023, with the German Army receiving the bulk of the platforms.
-
![Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid]()
Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
-
![US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress]()
US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
-
![Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test]()
Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.
