France and Germany discuss defence industrial co-operation, security policy…

摘要

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed defence-industrial co-operation and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) during a virtual meeting of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council on 5 February. In the virtual press conference afterwards Merkel said she and Macron discussed the European Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Air System (MALE RPAS) following the agreement by her Christian Democratic Union and its Social Democratic Party coalition partner to advance it and sign the relevant contracts. The second industrial project discussed was the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Systeme de Combat Aerien Futur (SCAF), with Merkel and Macron tasking their defence ministers to agree on the workshare and roles of the companies involved as well as on intellectual property "in the coming weeks very quickly" so the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, can approve funding for the programme, according to the German chancellor. She also said she expected the French and German defence ministers to agree by the end of February on similar questions for the next phase of the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).