Airbus has suggested splitting Europe’s future fighter project into two separate aircraft.
The proposal aims to break a long-running dispute with Dassault Aviation over leadership of the €100bn Future Combat Air System.
Chief executive Guillaume Faury said the deadlock must not endanger Europe’s next-generation defence capability.
He argued a dual-fighter model could allow progress while preserving cooperation between partner nations.
The FCAS programme, launched in 2017, includes a new warplane, autonomous drones and a combat data network.
Germany and France now disagree on requirements, particularly nuclear capability.
Friedrich Merz recently said Germany does not need a nuclear-armed jet.
Governments in Germany, France and Spain must soon decide whether to continue the fighter element.
Airbus said the other parts of the programme are advancing well.
The company reported a 23% rise in annual profit to €5.2bn.
However, supply-chain shortages—especially engines from Pratt & Whitney—forced it to scale back production targets for the A320.
Airbus still plans to increase aircraft deliveries this year despite recent inspection-related delays.
