CSDS POLICY BRIEF • 6/2026
The FCAS project appears to be over, at least in its original incarnation, although technological elements of the project may be salvaged, such as the development of a combat cloud. The case of FCAS serves as a cautionary tale for how to develop collaborative defence industrial programmes in Europe, especially when these projects involve large defence firms and member states. The failure of FCAS should not hinder plans for joint EU defence industrial programmes, but lessons from the failure of FCAS must be integrated into project planning sooner rather than later.
Daniel Fiott 