Nov 17 (Reuters) - Germany and France are discussing

downsizing their 100 billion euro ($115.99 billion) flagship air

defence project by dropping plans to jointly build a fighter jet

and focusing on a command and control system, the Financial

Times reported on Monday.

The FT, which said the partners could focus on developing

the "combat cloud" control system, cited officials in both

countries.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters last week that

France, Germany and third partner Spain were set to resume

high-level talks on the next phase of the project, known as

FCAS, or its French acronym SCAF, after delays caused by the

recent political crisis in France.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is due to meet his

French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, in Paris on Monday, two

of the sources said at the time.

Berlin has previously blamed French industry for blocking

the programme's next phase by demanding sole leadership of the

project, in a coded reference to Dassault Aviation.

The German defence ministry did not immediately respond to a

request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the FT

report.

($1 = 0.8621 euros)