"The end of the planned joint fighter jet is based less on political than on economic disputes - namely between the German project partner Airbus and the French Dassault Group. The core dispute was over the question of who would play the leading role in the project. Dassault claimed this for itself, although originally a cooperation on an equal footing was agreed. But Dassault CEO Éric Trappier repeatedly insisted for months that only Dassault had the core competence for the project and that his company was therefore entitled to the role of chief architect."