Reports from the International Fighter conference held in Rome indicate ongoing developments and conflicts regarding the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter program, which involves France, Germany, and Spain.

**Statement from French Official**: Brig. Gen. Phillipe Suhr, the French Air Force representative on the FCAS program, downplayed rumors of infighting among partners. He stated, “There are differences but don’t believe all you are reading,” emphasizing that all members remain committed to the project.

**Project Timeline**: The FCAS program was initiated in 2017 by France and Germany, with Spain joining later. The goal is to replace France’s Rafales and Germany’s Eurofighters by the 2040s, requiring successful collaboration among all nations involved.

**Concerns Over Control**: Tensions exist regarding control of the project, with Dassault Aviation, the French prime contractor, seeking a larger share. Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, suggested that Dassault could withdraw if they are dissatisfied with their stake in the project.

**Clarification on Ambitions**: Suhr clarified that Dassault’s reported desire for an 80% stake in the project is exaggerated, which he claims does not reflect the reality of their ambitions.

**Competing Projects**: Concurrently, significant progress is reported in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) being developed by Italy, the UK, and Japan, with three industrial consortia formed to progress work.

**Financial Investments**: Italy’s lead contractor, Leonardo, is projected to secure over €1 billion in national contracts for the GCAP by December, as stated by CEO Roberto Cingolani.

**Strategic Perspective from Italy**: Col. Antonio Vivolo from the Italian defense ministry outlined that the GCAP aims to foster both sovereign technological capabilities and collaboration with UK and Japanese partners. He stressed the importance of maintaining national autonomy to adapt capabilities to changing scenarios and threats without dependency on external partners.

**Final Remarks**: Vivolo reinforced that ensuring industrial sovereignty is essential for the sixth-generation fighter program to avoid reliance on external decision-makers. He encouraged having a clear set of ability-based requirements to be a reliable and effective partner in the project.

**Author Credentials**: The article was reported by Tom Kington, the Italy correspondent for Defense News.