France readies “Super Rafale” F5 and a national next-generation fighter after SCAF’s collapse, as Burnham discusses GCAP with Merz

France plans to begin the development phase of the Rafale F5 in December and pursue a national next-generation fighter prototype from 2027, Les Echos reported. The moves follow the collapse of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (SCAF) fighter project, leaving Paris and Berlin on separate paths for future combat aircraft.

The F5 upgrade is expected to include artificial intelligence, new optronics and an upgraded engine, as well as the ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missile, which is intended to renew France’s airborne nuclear deterrent. The French Air and Space Force is also pursuing HypAIRion, an AI-focused initiative for collaborative combat aircraft; France’s defence ministry says the project aims to test drones flying alongside Rafale jets, with a full-scale trial planned for 2028.

During talks in Berlin on October 8, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the prospect of Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the fighter initiative involving the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan.

France, Germany and Spain launched SCAF in 2017. On June 8, 2026, Paris and Berlin announced that the joint next-generation fighter would not proceed, although other elements of the broader air-combat system may continue.