German politicians on Wednesday approved the next phase of a project to build a joint European fighter jet with France and Spain, despite Defence Ministry scepticism.
The budget committee in the Bundestag lower house of parliament gave approval to the project, known as the Future Combat Air System, to progress to research and development phases between 2021 and 2027.
A government document seen by AFP said the next steps in the project would cost Germany almost €4.5 billion ($5.3bn).
France and Germany announced plans to build a common fighter in 2017, with Spain joining later.
The plane is slated to replace French-made Rafale jets and German and Spanish Eurofighter planes by 2040.
In Phase 2, France's Dassault Aviation and European plane maker Airbus are to build a demonstrator aimed at testing the reliability of the jet's technology.
Dirk Hoke, head of Airbus Defence and Space, welcomed the committee's vote.
"We see this as a strong endorsement and trust in the programme's ability to develop further European operational and technological sovereignty, whilst strengthening its aerospace industry," Mr Doke said on Twitter.
But critics in Germany warned against hasty approval for the next phase of the project.
Der Spiegel magazine reported in early June that the army's procurement office had written to the Defence Ministry to say the contract "must be renegotiated from a technical and economic point of view" and was "not ready for signing".
The deal "almost exclusively satisfies French positions, to the detriment of German industry", it said.
Dennis Rohde, a politician for the Social Democrats, on Wednesday said his party still had "many questions" about the project and demanded "clear conditions for further progress".
France, Germany and Spain announced in May that they had reached agreement on the next phase of the project, ending months of negotiations over how to share the work and the intellectual property.
The programme also includes drones and an ultrafast communications network called the "combat cloud", which will use artificial intelligence.
The total cost of the programme is expected to be nearly €100bn.
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
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