It's the most expensive single defense project in Europe, with a projected cost of at least €100 billion ($116.6 billion). From 2040, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aims to combine a new European fighter jet with fleets of drones controlled via a European defense cloud. "It's more like a flying combat system," Christian Mölling, a German security expert, told DW. The goal is to reduce European dependence on the United States and the F-35 fighter jets, equipped with stealth technology, that the US produces. However, the two companies involved — Dassault in France, and Airbus in Germany and Spain — are embroiled in a dispute, primarily about the manufacture of the plane itself. Pressure from the French manufacturer Dassault This row has now escalated to the point that the big bosses have had to step in. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, unexpectedly announced that they would be attending the Franco-German Defense and Security Council meeting in the French city of Toulon on Friday. The council meets twice a year, usually without attracting much attention from the general public. Mid-shot of Merz (left) and Macron (right), both in dark blue suits, just outside a building. Merz is pointing past the camera; Macron's right hand is on Merz's left elbow. A crowd of people with cameras is just visible inside the building.Mid-shot of Merz (left) and Macron (right), both in dark blue suits, just outside a building. Merz is pointing past the camera; Macron's right hand is on Merz's left elbow. A crowd of people with cameras is just visible inside the building. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron for talks in Berlin in JulyImage: Ralf Hirschberger/AFP In recent months, however, Eric Trappier, the CEO of the French fighter jet manufacturer Dassault, has been piling on the pressure. His company makes key components for France's nuclear deterrent, which is a fundamental part of the country's military independence. In April, Trappier played the national card before the defense committee in the French parliament. Some people, he said, were of the opinion that the "weakening of this independence," which the FCAS project would bring about, "was not that damaging" as the mutual dependence of the European partners would compensate for it. Trappier, however, argued that "once you take this step, there's no going back."