Belgium reconsiders FCAS role after Dassault CEO slams F-35 deal

Belgium is reviewing its planned full membership in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program following a wave of criticism from Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier, who questioned the country’s dual-track approach to fighter procurement.  

The move adds another layer of political strain to a European defense program already grappling with industrial disputes and diverging national agendas. 

A spokesperson for Belgium’s Ministry of Defence confirmed on July 26, 2025, that the government is “evaluating its position” in FCAS, just days after allocating €300 million to the next development phase (2026–2030) and announcing plans to join the program as a full partner. 

For Trappier, European jobs must follow European orders 

Trappier had already voiced his frustration earlier this month, criticizing nations that pursue FCAS participation while committing their procurement budgets to the US-made F-35. He singled out Belgium’s decision to order 11 additional F-35As, on top of its original 34-aircraft order, as undermining the credibility of FCAS. 

“The F-35 takes four or five years to be produced, which is not necessarily a great performance,” Trappier said. “That brings them to 2030. A fighter jet lasts 30 to 40 years, so they won’t need to renew their fleet until 2060 or 2070.” 

He warned that some countries want “the jobs created by the program” while choosing to “buy from the United States.” According to Trappier, this contradiction reveals a lack of real commitment to Europe’s defense industrial base and undermines the logic of their FCAS involvement. 

Political pushback from Brussels 

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken responded sharply on July 25, 2025, via Facebook, writing: “As a founding father of NATO and the EU, loyal ally and headquarters owner, we can’t take lessons from arrogant industrialists.”  

A defense ministry spokesperson later said Francken’s comments made the government’s position “clear.” 

Belgium’s move to become a full FCAS partner was announced in its updated defense strategy, Vision Stratégique Défense 2025, which emphasized that the €300 million investment must generate industrial and technological benefits for the Belgian industry. 

Belgium’s reconsideration is unlikely to derail FCAS as a whole, but it reflects rising political sensitivity around participation terms and the credibility of European rearmament narratives. Dassault and Airbus, co-leads of the program’s fighter component, are themselves locked in a separate dispute over leadership and control of the project. 

The fallout also places additional pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who have tasked their defense ministers with resolving the FCAS impasse before the Franco-German Council in Toulon on August 29, 2025. The post Belgium reconsiders FCAS role after Dassault CEO slams F-35 deal appeared first on AeroTime.

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