Overview
- Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said the company would support developing two separate fighters and is ready to lead an alternative if customers request it, arguing one blocked pillar should not stall the whole effort.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned whether incompatible French and German requirements can be reconciled and raised whether Germany will need a manned combat aircraft in twenty years.
- President Emmanuel Macron and the Élysée reaffirmed commitment to the project, calling for industrial differences to be overcome and underscoring France’s nuclear‑deterrence needs.
- Spain said it remains fully engaged under the 2019 framework, as governments work toward an end‑of‑month decision after delays to the next development phase.
- Reporting by Reuters, cited by Business Insider, says Berlin is considering ordering additional F‑35s as a contingency, while long‑running leadership and intellectual‑property disputes between Dassault and Airbus continue to weigh on timelines.