Airbus says fighter project collaboration working outside core warplane

May ​20 (Reuters) - The ⁠head of European aerospace ​group Airbus remains optimistic about connected systems being developed for the FCAS fighter ​project, ‌he said on Wednesday, despite differences with France's Dassault Aviation over the ⁠core warplane.

Speaking at an Airbus event ⁠in Germany, CEO Guillaume ​Faury said that France, Germany and Spain were considering the future of the troubled project but gave no timetable for a decision. Defence ​sources ‌say that talks to resolve a dispute between Airbus and Dassault over development of a flying demonstrator have stalled. Airbus has suggested splitting the programme into two fighters while maintaining ​the planned connective architecture.

"The fighter that is at the core ‌of the difficulties today, there are different ways forward, and I would leave it to governments ‌to reflect and decide what they want to do," Faury told the Airbus Defence Summit.

Speaking at the Eurofighter factory complex ​north of Munich, Faury questioned whether the two companies could work together.

"At Airbus, ‌we have collaborations with Leonardo and BAE Systems in the Eurofighter ... and it's working," he said.

"But not all companies are capable ⁠of ⁠cooperating with each other. That's the difficulty ‌we're facing today."

Dassault declined to comment. It has said previously that it is ​willing to ​cooperate but wants clearer lines of control, ‌with Dassault driving the core fighter and Airbus leading other systems, including the so-called combat cloud and associated drones. (Reporting by Tim Hepher Editing by Louise Heavens and David Goodman)

Airbus

Dassault Aviation

Leonardo

BAE Systems