Paris and Berlin want to create a European alternative to the military software Palantir.

France and Germany announced on Friday their intention to develop a "sovereign European digital foundation" to reduce their dependence on American military tools, primarily Palantir software. The joint statement follows discussions between Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron.

The announcement comes amid a growing disengagement from American technologies. In June, French domestic intelligence terminated its contract with Palantir, the American surveillance giant. The German intelligence agency, for its part, opted for the French company ChapsVision over the Californian firm's offer.

In their joint declaration, the two countries stated their intention to "examine the development of a sovereign European digital foundation," integrating data security, artificial intelligence, and cloud solutions from both nations. The French platform Arcadia, an AI-powered military command system, was specifically cited as a model, alongside "comparable German solutions."

For several months, the French armed forces have been trying to position Arcadia as a competitor to Palantir's Maven software, used notably by NATO. However, a senior Alliance commander recently stated that there was no real European alternative.

The declaration also addresses other common defense issues. On the MGCS future tank project, intended to eventually replace the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc with a network of manned and autonomous combat vehicles, the two governments agreed to launch a research program focusing on autonomous driving, sensors and battlefield networking, with the initial objective of reaching a "proof of concept" stage.

The text makes no mention of the SCAF, the Franco-German-Spanish next-generation fighter jet project, whose progress remains hampered. Instead, Paris and Berlin announce the creation of a "European collaborative combat standard" enabling fighter jets, combat drones, and other aircraft developed by different countries to communicate and operate together.

On long-range missiles, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will jointly examine cooperation. The statement mentions technologies that could give weapons a range of 2,500 kilometers and refers to the capabilities available within ArianeGroup, a Franco-German company.

In the space sector, the two governments pledged to strengthen their cooperation on reconnaissance satellites and to make greater use of European launchers, including Ariane 6, to put military equipment into orbit. Finally, Paris and Berlin reaffirmed their support for a potential initial public offering (IPO) of the tank manufacturer KNDS, subject to favorable market conditions and an agreement between the two states.