FCAS, Tempest fighter jet programmes will merge - Italy's air force chief

FILE PHOTO: Two Eurofighters of the Spanish Air Force are seen in-flight during the Ocean Sky 2021 Military Exercise for advanced air-to-air training in the southern airspace of the Canary Islands, Spain, October 21, 2021. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File Photo

MILAN (Reuters) - Tempest and Future Combat Air System (FCAS), two European programmes designed to build new fighter jets, will eventually merge, Italy's Air Force Chief of Staff said on Tuesday.

At a time when European Union members weigh closer cooperation on defence without weakening the ties that some countries have with NATO, General Luca Goretti said that Rome could act as a bridge between NATO and Europe.