They ease the debt restrictions on EU military spending, then turn around and instead of trying to nurture sovereign solutions, they throw this loaned money back at the U.S.-Americans.
This is exactly the same playbook the Germans pulled when the U.S.-Americans were suspected of aiding in the destruction of Nordstream 2, and then paying for expensive LNG infrastructure to make the continent's industry an American slave.
As for Nordstream 2 there has never been any reliable proof of US involvement. EU countries were fools to ever do business with Russia for critical energy sources in the first place.
When Germany and France can't get get along, the US profits.
The other option would be to Join the British program instead, not sure this is still an option.
I do think there is validity to abandoning their current project. The person in the article who asks whether they would really need a manned fighter in the future is perhaps right given it may be 20 years before a new jet is in operation. But I feel like they should focus on an existing fighter like the Gripen and on drones instead of giving more money and control to America.