Reference News Network, July 9 report. According to Reuters, Berlin, July 7 report, a defense industry source told Reuters that France has informed Germany that it hopes to take about 80% of the work share in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project jointly developed by France and Germany. This information is consistent with a report from the German website "Hardpoint."

The joint project is expected to invest more than 10 billion euros, but its progress has been repeatedly delayed due to disagreements between the French and German governments and defense companies on issues such as share allocation and intellectual property rights.

Dassault Aviation, Airbus (representing Germany), and Indra (representing Spain) are involved in the project, aiming to gradually replace France's Rafale fighter jets and Germany and Spain's Eurofighters with fifth-generation fighters starting from 2040.

A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense stated that the intergovernmental agreement on the joint development of FCAS remains the binding framework for Germany's participation in the project, and all issues related to France's position should be addressed by France. The French Ministry of Defense declined to comment.

A source said that if France insists on taking 80% of the work share, this would overturn the established task allocation plan. Such a move could lead to divisions among project partners, making it difficult for the project to proceed to the next stage by the end of the year as planned.

So far, the task allocation has been divided into specific modules such as the aircraft itself, engines, supporting remote control vehicles, and the digital core "combat cloud" that connects all systems.

Changes in work shares may affect German companies such as Hensoldt and Anteo.

In July 2017, French President Macron and then-German Chancellor Merkel first announced the FCAS project. The joint project will include combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles and other supporting weapon systems.

The project was originally intended to unite Europe after the migration crisis and the UK's decision to leave the EU, but in recent years, it has become a source of tension between France and Germany.

German MP Christoph Schmid said that if Paris persists in its demands, it could be the "last straw" that overwhelms the joint project, as Berlin cannot accept such demands and cannot continue to use German funds to finance a French-led project.

This controversy may intensify speculation about merging the FCAS project with the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The latter is a joint project by the UK, Italy, and Japan aimed at developing an advanced stealth fighter.

Translation by Yang Xuele

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524896257244987967/

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