Dassault Aviation CEO says unsure if FCAS fighter project will go ahead

Dassault Aviation SA

16/12/2025 09:56

PARIS, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The head of Dassault Aviation AM.PA raised questions over a troubled Franco-German-Spanish fighter project on Tuesday, saying its future depended in part on whether Germany was prepared to re-examine its reliance on U.S. arms imports.

"Will it happen? I don't know," CEO Eric Trappier told a conference on corporate security, reiterating demands for clearer leadership of the core fighter component of the FCAS system that also includes drones and combat connectivity.

Asked about reports that France and Germany could build two jets under a common umbrella to bridge differences between Dassault and Airbus AIR.PA over plans for one system, Trappier told Reuters: "Nobody has talked to me about two aircraft".

 (Reporting by Florence Loeve, Tim Hepher)

 ((tim.hepher@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 54 52; Reuters Messaging: tim.hepher.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))