Guillaume Faury told France Inter radio that the industry was a "real uphill battle" but added: "When we manage to work together, we achieve some pretty good things."

He said he believes that the SCAF fighter jet programme, for which French aircraft manufacturer Dassault is the main contractor, with Airbus also involved on behalf of German and Spanish manufacturers, "will happen."

But he said he regretted an ongoing "fairly significant disagreement" with Dassault "on how to conduct the aircraft's development".

For Faury, "the SCAF is a combat system which comprises an aircraft, drones, what we call a combat cloud, and a digital system connecting all the components.

"The manner of cooperation for each of pillar is not yet finalised," he added.

In September, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said the French group was capable of developing the sixth-generation aircraft "on its own" and said there should be review of the project's three-way partnership.

"With any cooperation, you must develop something that benefits all parties involved," Faury responded.

"If one party says it's on my terms or not, that's not very conducive" to collaborative success, he argued.

"Today, we're caught between two opposing visions... We need to be able to develop an aircraft which meets the needs of the French, but also the Germans and the Spanish."

According to the German government website, the three countries' defence ministers -- Boris Pistorius of Germany, Catherine Vautrin of France, and Margarita Robles of Spain -- are scheduled to meet Friday in Berlin.

Their agenda has not been revealed, however.

During a visit to Berlin a month ago, French President Emmanuel Macron referred to an "obligation to achieve results" regarding the FCAS, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the need to reach a decision by year end.

im-clp/pyv/cw/phz

Airbus Group

Dassault Aviation