Pistorius Insists Franco‑German FCAS Project Can Still Be Rescued
Germany's defense minister asserted that the embattled Franco‑German future combat air system remains recoverable and outlined plans to increase force capacity while bolstering supply‑chain resilience. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he positioned FCAS as one pathway, not the sole option, for deepening European defense industrial ties.
The minister flagged active contingency planning should the program stall, but resisted declaring the multinational effort finished. He tied program risk to broader industrial strategy, stressing that collaboration with French partners must survive program-level setbacks. References to procurement pacing, component sourcing, and joint technology transfer obligations reflected concern over far‑reaching supply vulnerabilities. The statement implicitly named actors such as Airbus and Dassault Aviation as central industrial nodes whose alignment will shape outcomes. He also connected the FCAS discussion to an ambition to expand the Bundeswehr, indicating procurement and force‑generation will proceed in parallel. Observers should read this as a move to retain bargaining leverage in negotiations and to preserve industrial options across Europe.
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