On top of all this some claim that there is a Quid pro quo and that Turkey will be giving something in addition to the $2.5 billion. Perhaps some concessions in Syria. It is also no secret that Turkey will be using the first S-400 systems in Syria (most probably the “Kurdish Corridor”).

Most of Western jets fly in Kurdish corridor. they will be long gone before Turkey learned S400 system operations.

This in turn means that Turkey is gearing up for a massive show down in Syria. One also notes that Turkey has begun modernizing a large chunk of its tank fleet after it lost numerous Leopard’s and M-60T Sabra’s.

Turkey isnt capable of showdown when it is massive. the tanks are outdated and complex. they will barely survive 100km outside maintainance area.

Fighter is only small part of large package of products that Macron wants to extract money from Germany to fund it.
Plus the threat to EU comes from US allies. Turkey is first among them. Egypt is supporting a General in libya (with Russian weopons) that will overthrough EU backed government. Saudi dont want even attend G20 summit in Germany. there will be very poor export prospects for such fighter built with Germanic content. i doubt they going to export such fighter to China adverseries. The fighter project is already too late.

It’s a Euro fighter not European fighter. There is also improving Tiger helicopter

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/franco-german-fighter-proposal-gains-momentum-439509/
Macron says the allies discussed “road maps” and joint investment opportunities concerning 18 equipment areas, including fighters, unmanned air vehicles, helicopters and military satellites. This should reduce duplication and enable the nations to more effectively pursue export opportunities, he adds.

If the US/Europeans (Germans in particular) were so concerned about human rights why are they hosting the Egyptian Dictator who came to office through a coup?

Egypt leader is alot more competent thats why everyone trying to get along with it. He bought Mistral ship (that release money to Russia), bought Rafale fighters so atleast get idea about something better than outdated F-16. now Egypt is going to building its military with Russian weopons that will give it much better bargaining power with Israel and rest of Middleast. ( there is whole history of Egypt fights over Suez canal and with Israel that has superior technology at the time)
Even Sudan has built its airforce with Russian fighters and Saudi sent dozens of fighters for exercise and lots of money.
Turkey military is practically worthless with its dependence on western technology and Turkey simply not capable of closing down that canal from black sea.
Turkey also not capable to fight with Israel. unless and untill Turkey equips its military with 100% Russian weopons, training and survellence technology no one will take it seriously.

After those France made another plane in partnership, with UK this time, the Jaguar and went excellently the same.
Probably problems begin when the parttner are too many , so complicating the possibility of reach a compromise.
Airbus and Eurocopter are excellent examples of a stable partnership between France and Germany, so let’s gave them almost the possibility of a try also when it come to tac planes-.

Airbus and Eurocopter hardly example of stable partnership.there supply network spread well outside Fr-Ger and skill level is so low that slightly complex work outside core competencies will be decades delayed and billions over budget.

So, we finally invented our own Predator-A… Wonder when we will see that heavy UCAV from Sukhoi.

It’s not the predator but fast secure and reliably network that is globally deployable along with autonmous flight for extended loitering.

https://www.rbth.com/defence/2016/04/07/russian-forces-test-high-speed-military-internet-in-syria_582879
Russian forces test high speed military Internet in Syria

EJ-200: Maximum thrust: 60kN (13,500lbf) dry thrust; 90kN (20,250lbf) with reheat
Snecma M88: Maximum thrust: 50 kN (11,250 lbf) dry, 75 kN (16,860 lbf) wet (afterburning)

Whereas Rolls-Royce/Kale Aerospace are working on a European equivalent to the YF119-PW-100L with thrust vectoring nozzle (basically Pratt & Whitney F119 with TVN).

Europe just needs to put politics aside and pool all their resources into one engine project or they will all lag behind the US.

BAE /RR want to expand into Turkey. while Germany/French expand business into Iran. both these trends will ultimately lead to blacklists by others in Middleast.