‘Pure stupidity’: Belgian PM slams Franco-German fighter jet failure
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever criticized France and Germany for failing to agree on the development of a European sixth-generation fighter jet, calling it a waste of time and arrogance.
- The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), involving France, Germany, and Spain, aims to replace Germany’s Eurofighter and France’s Rafale jets by around 2040, with Belgium as an observer.
- The program includes not only a new warplane but also drones and a combat cloud to integrate aircraft with ground and satellite sensors.
- Germany announced it would halt work on the fighter jet component due to irreconcilable differences between France's Dassault Aviation and Germany's Airbus Defence and Space.
- De Wever dismissed claims that France could develop the fighter jet alone, referencing Dassault CEO Eric Trappier's stance and the past dispute over Belgium's purchase of American F-35 jets.