Analysis: Europe's next-gen fighter jet is dead. What does that mean for its security ambitions? | CNN

Europe’s bid to field a next-generation fighter to surpass the US F-35 has effectively collapsed, highlighting persistent frictions in Franco-German defense cooperation. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, once valued at about 100 billion euros ($116 billion), aimed to deliver a sixth-generation fighter, a battle-network 'combat cloud,' and unmanned wingmen flying alongside the aircraft. After years of disputes over design and industrial partnerships, the two nations decided to drop the fighter component. The project’s public arc included a 2019 unveiling of a full-scale fighter model in Paris, underscoring the ambition that now lies in question.