PARIS — Tensions between Paris and Berlin over the fate of a next-generation fighter jet are rising, with Dassault CEO Éric Trappier insisting on Tuesday that his company can manufacture a futuristic warplane alone. POLITICO has reported that Germany is looking for other partners if talks with France fail on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), to which Trappier said: “If they want to do it on their own, let them do it on their own,” according to Agence France-Presse. “Could we make a sixth-generation aircraft on our own? The answer is yes. We could design it, build it, fly it and produce it,” he added, speaking on the sidelines of a Dassault factory opening in the suburbs of Paris. FCAS was launched in 2017 by France and Germany, with Spain joining the program later. It is designed to replace the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon by 2040. POLITICO reported last week that Germany is now looking at Sweden and the U.K. to replace France in case Paris and Berlin can’t reach an agreement by the end of the year. Dassault Aviation and Airbus — the company representing Germany in the project — have been fighting over how much work each company gets to do. The French Rafale-maker wants more decision-making power to develop the new aircraft, arguing that the current management structure is likely to cause delays.  Over the weekend the French armed forces ministry tried to strike a reassuring tone, insisting it remains fully committed to finding common ground with Germany on FCAS. But Thomas Pretzl, head of the workers’ council at Airbus Defence and Space, said Germany has the capability to develop the new fighter on its own or with partners other than France. “I believe that FCAS should go ahead without Dassault. There are more attractive and suitable partners in Europe,” he told Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper. Chris Lunday contributed reporting from Berlin.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken hit back at Dassault CEO Éric Trappier over the French executive’s refusal to let Belgium participate in a European next-generation fighter jet project. “As a founding member of NATO and the EU, a loyal ally and host of the headquarters, we have no lessons to take from arrogant industrialists,” Francken said. Earlier this week, Trappier said he did not want Belgium to join the program, known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), unless the Belgian government stopped purchasing American-made F-35s — one of the main rivals to Dassault’s Rafale jet. FCAS is led by France’s Dassault, Airbus’ German unit and Spain’s Indra and is designed to deliver a next-generation fighter jet by 2040. However, it’s currently bogged down in disagreements around the work share, which Paris and Berlin are trying to solve. Dassault and Airbus have a notoriously fraught relationship, and the Rafale-maker wants to take the lead in making the FCAS’ warplane. Belgium is an observer member, but said last week it had earmarked €300 million for the program and will ask to become a full member “as soon as possible.” “If I was diplomatic, I would say that Belgium is welcome if they stop buying F-35s. If I wasn’t, I would say they’re really taking us for fools,” Trappier said this week. Trappier and Belgium have a long history of sparring over the Belgian government’s decision to purchase F-35s instead of Rafales. In 2023, the Dassault CEO pushed back against Belgium’s bid to become an observer, leading to a public spat with Francken’s predecessor, Ludivine Dedonder. “The government will assess its position in the FCAS project,” Francken said.