PARIS, July 22 (Reuters) -

French warplane maker Dassault Aviation raised

questions over the future of a Franco-German-Spanish fighter jet

project on Tuesday in a growing feud with Europe's Airbus

over control of the futuristic program that combines

traditional warplanes with automated drones.

CEO Eric Trappier said the Future Combat Air System,

widely known under its French initials SCAF, needed clearer

leadership and organisation as partners move towards a second

phase that calls for a flying model to prove its cutting-edge

technology.

SCAF is one of several so-called sixth-generation

fighter projects expected to combine traditional crewed

warplanes with a cohort of uncrewed and armed drones. Britain is

working on a similar proposal with Italy and Japan known as

GCAP.

Dassault, which builds France's Rafale warplanes, is in

charge of efforts to come up with designs for the core fighter,

one of several "pillars" in the hugely complex SCAF project.

Trappier said that in practice, decisions over key parts

of the current design phase were having to be cleared with

Airbus, adding complexity and contributing to delays.

"They say Dassault is the leader but that all decisions

must be taken between three (countries)," Trappier said at a

half-yearly earnings conference.

Airbus, which represents both Germany and Spain in the

project with Dassault backed by France, declined comment.

Asked if Dassault was threatening to leave the SCAF

project, Trappier indicated the programme's wider future was at

stake.

"It is not a question of leaving SCAF but of deciding if

it continues or not," he said.

However, he strongly denied reports that Dassault was

seeking 80% control.

Dassault and Airbus, two historic European industry

rivals called on to work together after French President

Emmanuel Macron and then German Chancellor Angela Merkel

launched the initiative in 2017, have squabbled repeatedly over

handling of the project to replace current warplanes by 2040.

The latest comments came on the eve of a Berlin summit

between Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that are

expected to touch on the status of the defence project,

according to a French presidential adviser and industry sources.

Airbus Defence & Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn told the

Paris Air Forum last month that governance had been agreed and

that Airbus, a leading partner in the Eurofighter Typhoon, had a

history of successful cooperation with other defence firms.