Germany has formally ended its participation in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint European programme launched in 2017 by France, Germany, and Spain to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft intended to enter service in the 2040s. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the decision at the Berlin ILA airshow, following a series of breakdowns: the programme's second phase was frozen in December 2025, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier severed negotiations with Airbus Defence and Space in April 2026, and Airbus's own CEO cited geopolitical disruptions as rendering the project obsolete. The collapse, which analysts say reflects deep disagreements over industrial leadership, intellectual property, and divergent operational requirements — France needed a carrier-capable nuclear-deterrence aircraft while Germany sought a heavier conventional bomber to complement its fleet of American F-35s — leaves Europe facing a significant capability gap and forces Berlin and Paris to consider alternatives ranging from joining the UK-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to pursuing separate national programmes.