France, April 24 -- Plans to develop the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS), together with Spain, have been hanging by a thread amid a public dispute over control between ​France's Dassault Aviation and Airbus SE, which represents both Germany and Spain in the €100 billion programme. 

On Wednesday, France and Germany's defence ministers had given differing timelines for a decision on the programme, with one saying ​the two countries' leaders would decide soon and the other ​saying mediators had sought more time to discuss the matter.

Asked on Friday whether FCAS was dead, France's President Emmanuel Macron said "No, not at all", adding he had just discussed the R...