Paris — Belgium will join the Franco-German next generation combat aircraft project FCAS, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
According to Macron, Belgium will first be brought on board as an observer in the multi-billion euro project in which Spain is also a partner.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) has been a source of tension between Germany and France in the past, partly because Dassault and Airbus, the companies involved in the development of the new generation fighter system, could not agree on how to allocate parts of the project between them.
At the end of last year, however, the two companies achieved a breakthrough. Germany's Defence Ministry said the collaboration that would strengthen Europe's military capabilities and secure important know-how for German and European industry.
The FCAS is set to be operational from 2040 and to replace the Eurofighter. It is to fly in conjunction with unarmed and armed drones and is in this respect more than a combat aircraft.
The total cost has been estimated in the range of hundreds of billions of euros. The industries of Germany, France and now Spain are involved in the project.
Macron made the announcement at a ministerial meeting on air defence in Europe organized by France and attended by Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
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