The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) and the IG Metall union are urging that the German‑French‑Spanish fighter‑jet project FCAS abandon the development of a joint manned aircraft.
In a guest article for “Handelsblatt”, BDLI chief executive Marie‑Christine von Hahn and union vice‑chair Jürgen Kerner write: “We now need a commitment to two aircraft within FCAS – out of responsibility for Europe’s safety, for our employees, and for the idea of a self‑determined, capable Europe”.
FCAS is intended to combine manned combat aircraft, escort drones, and advanced communication systems into a single alliance. Hahn and Kerner accuse French aircraft maker Dassault of a rigid stance that, they say, represents a claim to leadership among supposedly equal partners. “This harsh posture is not merely a claim to leadership among equals-it is a demand that we voluntarily surrender industry. Pardon, but that cannot be accepted” they write. They stress that cooperation must be based on parity, not subservience.
The pair propose that Germany continue to collaborate on propulsion, unmanned systems, networking, and sensor technologies-areas where significant progress has already been made-but to pursue an independent path for the development of the manned fighter jet. Germany possesses a long‑standing, comprehensive expertise in aircraft manufacturing. “Combined with a solid federal budget, we are capable of investing confidently and taking bold industrial‑political steps. We will no longer join a multinational venture; instead, we will launch our own programme and then seek partners who wish to join us” Hahn and Kerner claim.
Taking responsibility for Europe’s security, they argue, means “leading from a position of industrial strength”.