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🇧🇪 Belgium /Conflict & Security

Halting FCAS fighter jet development is 'pure stupidity,' says Belgian PM De Wever

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever criticized the halt in the development of the new FCAS fighter jet program as "pure stupidity."
  • De Wever argued that European countries must strengthen their defense through joint projects, especially in air defense, given the current geopolitical climate.
  • The FCAS project, involving France, Germany, and Spain, aims to connect aircraft and drones digitally but has been stalled by disagreements between Airbus and Dassault.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has sharply criticized the discontinuation of the new FCAS fighter jet program, labeling the decision "pure stupidity." Speaking at a conference in Brussels, De Wever expressed profound disappointment that France and Germany could not reach an agreement on the project's development, calling it a "waste of time" and an act of "arrogance."

De Wever emphasized the current geopolitical context necessitates European nations bolstering their defenses through collaborative projects, particularly in air defense. He asserted that the notion of developing a fighter jet alone, or doing so faster independently, ignores reality. "Thinking you can develop a fighter jet on your own, or that you can do it faster on your own, is simply ignoring reality. That is pure stupidity," he stated.

I was enormously disappointed when I read that France and Germany could not reach an agreement on the development. What a waste of time, what arrogance!

— Bart De WeverExpressing his strong disapproval of the stalled FCAS fighter jet program.

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, which involves France, Germany, and Spain, aims to create a network of aircraft and drones connected via digital communication. However, the multi-billion euro initiative has been stalled for months due to ongoing disagreements between French manufacturer Dassault and European aerospace giant Airbus. The program was intended to form the backbone of the French and German air forces from the 2040s onward, eventually replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale.

Belgium had joined the project as an observer in 2023. The previous Belgian government allocated 68 million euros for research and development, but only a fraction, between 10 and 20 million euros, has been spent on Belgian companies and research centers, according to information provided by Defense Minister Theo Francken earlier this year.

Thinking you can develop a fighter jet on your own, or that you can do it faster on your own, is simply ignoring reality. That is pure stupidity.

— Bart De WeverExplaining his view on the necessity of European defense cooperation for projects like the FCAS.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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