France and Germany scrap fighter jet in hit to European defence cooperation
Key takeaways
- The termination of the plan comes as Washington increases pressure on Europe to become more militarily independent.
- The office of French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday that the project was being terminated.
- Rivalries between the two firms are believed to have been a major factor in the breakdown of negotiations.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The termination of the plan comes as Washington increases pressure on Europe to become more militarily independent.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Under the plan, France’s Rafale jets and the Eurofighter flown by various air forces in Europe would both be replaced by 2040 [File: Aijaz Rahi/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 8 Jun 20268 Jun 2026France and Germany have announced that they are to scrap a landmark project to jointly develop a sixth-generation fighter jet.
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday that the project was being terminated. The development is a major blow to efforts to boost defence cooperation between European Union states, which has become a key issue amid uncertainty cast by President Donald Trump over the readiness of the United States to help defend NATO allies.