France is in advanced talks with the United Arab Emirates to build a strategic partnership around the Rafale fighter jet, after the collapse of the jointly planned Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with Germany. French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed that Paris and Abu Dhabi are discussing cooperation on the next upgraded version, the Rafale F5, which is expected to enter operational service in 2030.
The upgraded aircraft would not fully replace the canceled European project and would not include some of the advanced stealth features planned for the next-generation jet, but it would give France a major economic lifeline. Berlin decided to end FCAS after deep disputes between France’s Dassault and Airbus’s German aerospace division. The breakdown is a serious blow to defense cooperation between Europe’s two largest economies at a time of rearmament over the Russian threat and concern about weakening U.S. commitment to Europe.
The tensions are not limited to aircraft. The European future tank program, MGCS, led by Rheinmetall and KNDS, is also mired in major difficulties. Vautrin said the project is “10 years behind schedule” and that “we can no longer wait,” adding that France will need interim solutions to replace its aging Leclerc tanks.
German industry is blaming Paris. Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger said France is cutting the project budget, warning, “If there is less money, you do not move faster. The current timelines speak about the 2040s, which is an extremely long time. I am not even sure this project will be realized.” Meanwhile, France is seeking alternatives beyond Germany, including possible funding and future purchases from the UAE and India, and a parallel effort to court Sweden’s Saab. Paris also chose a French consortium, Safran and MBDA, to develop a new 150-kilometer rocket launcher instead of buying the U.S. HIMARS system, in order to preserve industrial independence.
