Merz questions German need for future manned fighter jet amid FCAS trouble

BERLIN, Feb 18 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has questioned whether developing a manned sixth-generation fighter jet still makes sense for his country's air force, referring to the troubled FCAS project that seeks to build such a jet.

Last week, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the fate of the French-German-Spanish FCAS warplane programme would become clear in the next few days.

"Will we still need a manned fighter jet in 20 years' time? Do we still need it, given that we will have to develop it at great expense?" Merz said on the Machtwechsel podcast published on Wednesday.

He suggested Germany would explore partnerships with other nations should it come to the conclusion that it will require a manned, stealth fighter jet.

"There are others in Europe, the Spanish for one, but there are also other countries that are interested in discussing this with us."

The 100-billion-euro-project, launched in 2017 to replace France's Rafales and Eurofighters produced by a European joint-venture, has been stalled by industrial rivalries.

Insiders expect Germany and France to abandon the development of a joint fighter jet but continue cooperation on drones and the so-called combat cloud, the digital backbone linking manned and unmanned platforms within the FCAS system.

Merz seemed to back this scenario, acknowledging Germany's and France's diverging needs.

"The French need a nuclear-capable jet that can land on an aircraft carrier. We do not currently need this in the German armed forces," he said. "If we cannot resolve this, we will not be able to continue with the project."