Europe's Next-Gen Fighter Jet Dream Might Be Dead In The Water

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, with its many variants, is likely the best-known fifth-generation fighter plane flying today — at least when it comes to Western nations. As of 2026, 1,000 F-35s have been delivered, and not just to the United States — around 20 nations fly, or have plans to fly, the Lightning II. The F-35, however, is not the only fighter of its type in the skies. Many countries other than the U.S. have been developing their own next-gen fighters, both as F-35 alternatives and as replacements for their current, aging aircraft.

As of February 2026, however, one of these major next-generation fighter projects, the FCAS, is facing major, and public, disagreements between its partners that could result in the complete abandonment of the project. The disagreements aren't just about technical specifics or assembly plans, but also involve completely differing views over the plane's mission itself — including its ability to carry nuclear weapons. 

While no official decision has been made yet on the proposed joint fighter's fate, some industry sources are declaring the project is essentially dead. And the trouble for FCAS comes at a time when Europe is under extra pressure to develop and build its own defense weapons independent of the United States.

One of the major non-U.S. next-generation fighter projects currently under development is the GCAP fighter program, led by the U.K., Italy, and Japan. The FCAS, which stands for "Future Combat Air System," is a similar project headed by France, Germany, and Spain. The program started in 2017, aiming to replace aging planes like the Eurofighter Typhoon with a more advanced fighter developed specifically by and for Europe. 

Despite the close relationship between the three EU nations, disagreements have put the project at risk. The primary tension is between France, which needs an aircraft capable of operating from carriers and carrying nuclear weapons, and Germany, which does not have nuclear weapons. Relationships between the manufacturers, German Airbus and French Dassault, have not been ideal, either, with tensions and rivalry between the two companies further complicating matters.

Airbus had publicly expressed doubts about the project as early as August 2025, although it remains committed as of February 2026. Dassault, for its part, has suggested that it could take on the development of a next-gen French fighter on its own. This has further soured the project, which had initially been targeted to have a new fighter in service by 2040. No final decision has been made on the fighter's future, though there are parts of the FCAS partnership that could survive without joint development of a new jet. And in light of these issues, others, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have questioned (via Reuters) whether there's even a need for a manned fighter jet under the FCAS program.

Such a major public disagreement over an expensive and important military project comes at a bad time for Europe, as the region has been trying to prove it can develop and build its own defense equipment without relying so heavily on the United States. And as this potential unraveling of the FCAS project shows, developing and building a brand-new, joint next-gen fighter independent of the U.S. is proving to be a lot easier said than done.

Should the FCAS fighter project be abandoned, France would likely continue with its own Dassault-developed fighter to meet its specific needs, while Germany would be forced to re-evaluate its options. Possible scenarios for a new German fighter could include joining the ongoing GCAP project or the more immediate, but less self-sufficient, solution of purchasing more F-35 fighters from the United States. It's also possible that FCAS could have multiple planes built under the same program, as proposed by Airbus, but some, including Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, have expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness of that plan (via Breaking Defense).

In light of the feud, India has expressed interest in joining the FCAS project should Germany drop out, as reported by The Print. In the meantime, if Germany does end up simply buying more F-35 Lightning IIs, the nation can at least remind itself that the F-35 isn't solely an American aircraft but one that was developed and built as part of an ambitious collaboration between many different countries.