The Times: Germany may leave the French sixth generation fighter program to join the British!

If the British article was verified yesterday timesSo, we will deal the strongest blow to European efforts to jointly develop weapons systems, but also more generally to form a common civil defence. What does the Times say? How does Germany, which participates with France and Spain in a program to develop a sixth-generation fighter, think about abandoning it! Not only that, but joining the same competitive program that Britain is developing in cooperation with Italy and Japan.

We have written in FLIGHT several times about this European division, as initially there was a consensus on the joint development of a new sixth-generation fighter, for all Western European countries. This was divided in its development, in “Britain” with Italian assistance and in French-German participation. Spanish. The first is known as Tempest, and the second is known as FCAS. However, in FCAS, there are few disagreements between the French and the Germans, over which country will have priority in the design and specifications of the fighter.

Money is pouring into the development of the British sixth generation fighter Tempest

According to The Times, the German government, along with Chancellor Schulz, fears this FCAS will be slow to emerge and the cost will be higher compared to Tempest, While it is also disturbed by France’s promotion of its airlines to take over parts of the programme.

At the same time The Paris-Berlin dimension is already evident in other defense programs as well. The German “Sky Shield” initiative (ESSI) on common European air defense, to which 19 countries have joined (and Greece is interested), has not received the support of France, which insists on systems of its own design. There is also a “whiny” and serious joint Franco-German plan to develop a new battle tank, which is supposed to be the successor to the many Panthers around Europe. Here Germany also sees France’s desire to cap the program, but it also sees the risk of losing sales of the latest version of the Leopard, the 2A8.

Berlin “separated” from Paris regarding the new battle tank, and continues with Italy, Spain, and Sweden!

Thus the two largest EU countries, although initially in the mood for serious defense cooperation, which would “include” many countries, have a gap between them. The Times confirms, on the other hand, that there is an initial process of “convergence” in defense matters, between Britain and Germany, which may even amount to Germany withdrawing from the FCAS and being included in the storm.

But not everything is rosy here either. Germany and Britain are cooperating in the Eurofighter fighter programme, which Britain wants to sell to Saudi Arabia, while Germany disagrees for political reasons in response to the Saudi invasion of Yemen. But here Saudi Arabia played a “strong card” and suddenly invited the French to submit an offer to sell Rafale fighters, perhaps as part of diplomatic blackmail, stating that “there are other interested parties.” So, according to the publication, Germany is now considering lifting its veto against the sale of Eurofighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

Ektakto: Saudi Arabia is interested in purchasing up to 200 sixth generation Rafale and FCAS fighters!

Let’s comment here: If Germany leaves FCAS, this will probably end as a programme. France and Spain alone will find it very difficult to find the funds necessary to continue this (Germany has pledged funding of 40 billion euros). Conversely, if Germany joins the storm, with British, German, Italian and now Japanese involvement, it has a very strong chance of producing an effective sixth-generation aircraft, as the combined financing and experience are impressive. We mention here that only Japan had a similar project underway, so there is already accumulated research.

Britain, Italy and Japan: formalization at the corporate level of the sixth generation fighter

A break for a united Europe

But in general, if the Franco-German armament axis “breaks” within Europe, this will not be in France’s interest. Germany has a large number of European countries under its jurisdiction, so it will maintain an open clientele and influence. On the contrary, France will have to look for new markets (for weapons but also for its products in general) in the Middle East and Asia (within Europe only Greece is a strong client).While its ambition to become the primary political leader of the European Union, with Germany as the second country, has been undermined.

This is more important than the armament programmes, which are serious but secondary In front of the crucial issues related to the common security policy of Europe, accession to international intervention, political and social solidarity, the confederal development of the European Union, and the emergence of Europe as a strong global pole with special value. All this was envisioned by many countries in the post-war reconstruction process.

French “idiosyncrasy” is of course nothing new: Paris has always claimed its own line of defense and foreign policy, both in purchases and exports (for example, it was one of the first countries to support Israel defensively in the 1950s), and this policy continues to this day. Today, especially in the Middle East.

What will happen; We will wait for developments while the non-stop international turmoil passes. the Ukrainian The case reached a bloody dead end. Middle Eastern It appears again in a more violent form American The problem of searching for identity and role (with the upcoming elections that may fundamentally shake the “deep state”) remains Russian The issue is settled, as this great country enters the path of nationalism and one-way conspiracy with offers of “greatness,” while… Turkish language Imaginative projects are now becoming more assertive, especially in our region. Without even thinking about the changes that have already begun in the Caucasus, the disappearing wound in North Africa, the Sahel region and much more.