After withdrawing from the joint Franco-German FCAS fighter program, France is advancing its own project to develop a next-generation fighter and modernize its aviation. This was stated by the Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force, General Jérôme Bellanger. The French side has definitively parted ways with Germany and is accelerating the development of a domestically produced aircraft known as the ACF (Avion de combat du futur).
Four months ago, in June 2026, Paris and Berlin officially ended their joint work on the manned Next Generation Fighter (NGF) under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) program. The decision stemmed from years of disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus over workshare, intellectual property rights, and project leadership. Spain, which had participated in the program, also exited this portion. At the same time, certain elements, primarily the combat cloud and some work on unmanned systems—may continue under cooperation.
France, however, has not halted its efforts. According to documents accompanying the draft 2027 budget and statements by Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin, a decision was already taken in July 2026 to continue critical NGF development work on a national basis in order to maintain the original timeline, which targets operational capability in the early 2040s. A second demonstration phase, including the flight of a prototype, is scheduled to begin in 2027, with full-scale development of the production aircraft starting in 2029. Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier previously indicated that the demonstrator’s first flight could take place in 2031 or 2032.
In parallel, the modernization of existing aviation is being accelerated. In December 2026, the Ministry of the Armed Forces is expected to officially launch the production phase of the Rafale F5—the “Super Rafale”—featuring artificial intelligence elements, new electro-optical systems, an upgraded engine, and the ASN4G hypersonic missile carrying France’s latest nuclear warhead. The F5 is viewed as an important technological bridge to the future ACF and is expected to enter service between 2033 and 2035. Additionally, the Air and Space Force is launching the HypAIRion program, which will use AI to enable manned and unmanned combat systems to operate together.
The implementation of these plans largely depends on the funding levels to be approved in the 2027 budget. Paris is already increasing allocations for this area and is retaining the work completed under FCAS in order to minimize delays and costs. Germany, meanwhile, is considering other options, including a possible decision to join the GCAP program (United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan).
In this way, France is steadily building an autonomous path toward a next-generation fighter, combining the accelerated modernization of the Rafale with the long-term development of the ACF.
