French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin announced the extension during a National Assembly defense committee meeting, citing requests from mediators Frank Haun and Laurent Collet-Billon. However, German officials, including mediator Haun, were reportedly unaware of this development, raising concerns about a perceived unilateral approach from France. The FCAS initiative aims to develop a joint fighter jet, unmanned drones, and a Combat Cloud for system integration, involving Germany, France, and Spain. Progress has stalled for months, primarily due to issues with the French aerospace firm Dassault.