The “Future Combat Air System” (SCAF), a joint sixth-generation fighter jet programme led by France, Germany and Spain, has suffered a major setback. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have agreed that the companies involved have failed to reach consensus on the project’s next phase, making continued joint development of the fighter increasingly difficult.
The SCAF is considered one of Europe’s largest defence cooperation projects. It was launched in 2017 by Macron and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Spain joining in 2019. The programme was originally intended to deliver a next-generation combat aircraft by 2040, replacing France’s Rafale and Germany and Spain’s Eurofighter Typhoon, while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy in defence.
However, the project has long been hampered by disputes over industrial leadership between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents German and Spanish interests. Dassault has insisted on leading the aircraft’s development, while Airbus has pushed for a more equal co-leadership model. The two sides have repeatedly failed to reach agreement.
The German government said Chancellor Merz has suggested halting the joint fighter development project. Nevertheless, both sides reportedly still hope to preserve other components of SCAF, including a networked combat system integrating fighter jets, drones and broader operational platforms. Discussions on a revised defence cooperation framework are expected at a France-Germany defence ministers’ meeting in July.
Commentary
As one of Europe’s most symbolically important defence cooperation projects, SCAF was designed around the idea of “strategic autonomy” — reducing reliance on US military technology while integrating the aerospace industries of France, Germany and Spain.
Its stagnation highlights the structural difficulties of European defence integration. National security priorities and the protection of domestic defence industries continue to outweigh collective strategic goals. Even amid the security pressures created by the Russia–Ukraine war, European countries remain reluctant to surrender control in high-end military technologies.
In the short term, the deadlock may slow Europe’s progress in developing future air combat systems and deepen its reliance on the United States and NATO frameworks. In the long run, unless Europe can establish a coherent mechanism for cooperation in core defence technologies, “strategic autonomy” risks remaining more a political slogan than an achievable reality.