The termination of the Franco-German joint fighter project has "both advantages and disadvantages."

Reference News Network reported on June 12 According to the German news television channel website on June 9, the joint fighter jet project between France and Germany has failed, but does this massive project really meet the needs of the times? Here are the core questions and answers regarding the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

Question: Why did the fighter jet project fail?

Answer: It becomes tricky when two countries jointly develop a fighter jet but wish to use it in completely different scenarios. The French military has an aircraft carrier named Charles de Gaulle and hopes the new fighter can take off and land on the carrier. This requires the fighter to be equipped with a sturdier landing gear and a particularly stable fuselage, as the aircraft will endure severe impacts and strong resistance when landing on the carrier.

The Bundeswehr does not have an aircraft carrier, so it does not require this special stability. However, it has requirements regarding the size and speed of the fighter. Without an aircraft carrier that can approach the deployment area by water, the German fighter may need to fly longer distances, necessitating larger fuel tanks to carry more fuel.

France wants the future fighter to have the capability to deliver nuclear weapons, while Germany does not possess its own nuclear weapons. Therefore, the requirement for the new fighter to carry nuclear bombs comes solely from France.

While it is not impossible to integrate such divergent needs into one aircraft, it is not an ideal solution. Developing two versions would significantly increase costs and delay progress.

Question: Is it bad that the fighter jet project has fallen through?

Answer: The good news is that it’s not too bad. Of course, the failure of cooperation does cast a shadow over Franco-German relations. Especially now, as the Kremlin closely monitors Western Europe to assess the strength of NATO member countries in Europe. The failure of such a major project clearly does not help deter potential adversaries.

However, the suspension of the fighter jet project also contains opportunities. First is the chance to streamline the project. The more participants involved, the lower the costs. Germany can now evaluate whether it is worth joining other existing alliances. For example, the UK is developing a fighter jet under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in collaboration with Italy and Japan, and Sweden is also a potential partner. Airbus has also proposed forming a research alliance that includes eight companies.

Additionally, pragmatic planners might pose a completely different question: does such a large-scale project still have practical significance? The development costs alone for this project reach 100 billion euros, making it the most expensive defense project in European history, expected to be operational by 2040. However, how much will air combat in 2040 relate to our current conception of "future air combat"?

The Ukrainian military has just gained the upper hand in its confrontation with Russia using artificial intelligence from the American company Palantir. Technological capabilities are developing at an astonishing pace and have a direct impact on the balance of power between the warring parties.

Frank Sauer, a security expert at the Bundeswehr University Munich, fundamentally questions the rationale of the project: “In an era where artificial intelligence and inexpensive unmanned systems are emerging in large numbers, does this still meet the needs of the times?”

Sauer is looking towards emerging agile drone manufacturers that are developing AI-powered aircraft that can be operational in just 14 months instead of 14 years.

Therefore, the termination of the Franco-German joint fighter project may be an opportunity to readjust the development direction. Perhaps by then, people will conclude that a simpler, sturdier, and even potentially unmanned aircraft, supplemented by the most advanced cloud-based artificial intelligence, is the better solution.

According to the German news television channel website on June 9, eight military and aerospace companies led by Airbus plan to jointly develop a new European fighter jet. The Financial Times cited sources as saying that the alliance is named the "Sixth Generation Team" and is expected to be officially unveiled at the Berlin International Air Show this week.

The backdrop to this move is that Germany and France previously decided to halt the joint fighter manufacturing plan under the FCAS framework due to ongoing industrial policy differences. The Financial Times quoted sources familiar with the project as saying that the new alliance aims to demonstrate that the German industrial sector is ready to collaborate with European partners to develop the sixth-generation fighter jet. (Translation by Zhong Sirui and Wang Ziqiang)