ASSESSMENTS

France and Germany Have High Hopes for New Fighter Jet

Aug 15, 2017 | 09:00 GMT

France and Germany have agreed to work together on a next generation fighter jet.

Given the sheer costs of developing a next generation fighter -- with its requisite stealth, cutting-edge avionics and highly advanced engine -- it is not clear that any Western European country can afford to go it alone anymore.

(ROBERT ZAVALA/Stratfor)

Highlights

Given the sheer cost of developing a next generation fighter, it is unlikely that any Western European country can afford to go it alone anymore.
Defense priorities in Europe differ starkly across regions and countries, not just over what platforms to build, but on how much to spend on defense in general.
Economic considerations over jobs and proprietary technologies present considerable hurdles to greater collaboration.

Cooperation by France and Germany on a next generation jet fighter could boost defense integration on the Continent. The two countries agreed in July to proceed with the development of a new jet to eventually replace their existing fighter fleets. The decision, which French President Emmanuel Macron labeled a "far-reaching revolution," also has broad implications for global fighter sales. However, it will take more than a joint fighter project to satisfy Franco-German ambitions for greater European defense integration....

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