Germany is changing course for its 2035 fighter jet: GCAP option on the table

Germany is weighing joining the UK-, Italy- and Japan-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as its 2035 fighter jet path, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicating a decision could come in 2027. The shift follows a crisis in Berlin's FCAS programme with France, which has stalled progress on the joint future combat air system. GCAP partners London, Rome and Tokyo are developing a sixth-generation fighter, and German participation would reshape Europe's defence-industrial map and could sideline Paris in the next-generation warplane race. Watch for the 2027 decision timeline, any formal GCAP invitation or memorandum, and how France responds to keep FCAS alive.