France, Germany, Spain Revive Delayed Fighter Jet Talks Amid Calls for Progress

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BERLIN/Paris, November 13 - After months of delay, France, Germany, and Spain are set to revive high-level talks on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a multi-billion-euro project to develop stealth fighters and armed drones. According to sources, a ministerial meeting is scheduled for the week of November 24, as the three nations attempt to bridge differences over the project's next phase, which includes a flying demonstrator model. The talks have been stalled due to a recent political crisis in France, but defence ministers from the three countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the project. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will meet his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, in Paris next Monday to discuss the project's progress. The FCAS project, valued at 100 billion euros, aims to develop a system of crewed stealth fighters and packs of armed drones by 2040. France's current Rafale warplanes will need to be replaced by then, according to Vautrin. While France's Dassault Aviation has denied reports of seeking sole leadership of the project, Berlin has accused the French industry of blocking the programme's next phase. The revival of talks comes as Germany's Defence Minister Pistorius has called for a decision on the next phase by the end of the year. The meeting is seen as a crucial step towards resolving the differences and moving the project forward.