The EU’s ambitions for strategic military autonomy took another hit as France and Germany failed to resolve their dispute over the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a sixth-generation fighter jet program launched seven years ago under Macron and Merkel — with Spain later joining.
The project envisions a manned fighter operating alongside drones and connected through a “Combat Cloud.” But as reported by Ta Nea, the EU summit in Cyprus was the latest missed opportunity for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron to break the deadlock. The program has been stumbling for months, and its paralysis underscores the broader fragility of European defense cooperation at a moment when the continent can least afford it.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s lavish Boeing 747-8 — a former “flying palace” complete with marble bathrooms and luxury salons — is being rapidly converted into a temporary Air Force One at L3Harris Technologies facilities in Texas, with delivery expected by summer 2026. The $300 million aircraft is undergoing rigorous flight testing focused not on performance spectacle but on communications and security systems befitting a presidential aircraft.
