A full size model of the "New Generation fighter", part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) under development by Dassault Aviation, Airbus and Indra Sistemas is presented at the Paris, Le Bourget Airport, on June 20, 2023.
Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain in the FCAS warplane program, will support the two-fighter-jet solution if the customers demand it, CEO Guillaume Faury said Thursday.
"If mandated by our customers, we would support a two-factor solution and are committed to playing a leading role," Faury told a news conference.
"But the deadlock of a single pillar should not jeopardize the entire future of this high-tech European capability which will bolster our collective defense."
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program was launched in 2017 to replace France's Rafale jet and the Eurofighter planes used by Germany and Spain.
But the scheme, jointly developed by the three countries, has stalled as disagreements grow between Dassault and Airbus.
German industrial interests and some politicians have bristled at Dassault's alleged efforts to revise FCAS agreements and take greater control of the aircraft portion of the project.
On Feb. 18, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled that Berlin could abandon the project, saying Germany does not need the same new fighter jets as France.
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he remained "committed to the success of the FCAS project" and considered it "incomprehensible" that the disagreements have not been overcome at a time when Europe must "show unity and performance."
"We believe we are at the difficult juncture of the program," Faury said.
"At Airbus, we continue to believe that the program as a whole makes sense."
The plan envisages not only a fighter jet but an interlinked drone swarm and a digital cloud system.
