Pakistan, Nov. 3 -- Europe is confronting a central paradox of strategic autonomy: the capacity to finance and develop advanced weapons does not guarantee the political capacity to build them collectively. This tension is most acute in combat aviation, where sixth-generation airpower demands unprecedented technological and industrial integration. At the same time, European states seek greater defence self-reliance and reduced dependence on external suppliers. The June 2026 collapse of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) exposes the enduring conflict between Europe's ambition for strategic autonomy and the sovereignty of its individual states.

The reason lies in the nature of sixth-generation airpower: unlike incremental upg...