Germany To Buy 35 Lockheed F-35 Fighter Jets From US Amid Ukrainian Crisis

BERLIN, March 14 – Germany will buy 35 US F-35 fighter jets to replace its aging Tornado, Germany said on Monday, announcing the first major defense deal since Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged 100 billion euros to modernize the military. in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The move turned out to be part of a tectonic shift in German security policy, including pledging to hit NATO’s 2% defense spending target after years of accusations that Germany was too dovish towards Moscow as compensation for its Nazi past. More

“After careful consideration of all available options, I have decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as a replacement for the Tornado in the nuclear sharing role,” Defense Secretary Christine Lambrecht said in a statement.

The Tornado is the only German jet capable of carrying American nuclear bombs stored in Germany in case of conflict. Read more But the German Air Force has been using the Tornado since the 1980s, and Berlin plans to phase it out between 2025 and 2030.

As a replacement, the F-35 offers unique opportunities for cooperation with both NATO allies and other European partners, Lambrecht said, referring to the fact that many other countries have ordered the stealth aircraft built by Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) .

In early February, a German Defense Ministry source told Reuters that Berlin was leaning towards buying the F-35, but no final decision had yet been made. More

Berlin will also buy 15 Eurofighters equipped with electronic warfare capabilities yet to be developed by Franco-German manufacturer Airbus (AIR.PA), according to a confidential document sent to lawmakers to inform them of the government’s plans.

Buying the F-35 will come as a blow to Boeing (BA.N), whose F-18 has been approved by former German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to replace the Tornado.

This decision may also upset France. Paris has been following Germany’s discussion of the F-18 or the more advanced F-35, fearing that the deal could undermine the development of a joint Franco-German fighter that should be ready in the 2040s.

In an effort to allay French fears, Lambrecht supported Scholz by emphasizing Germany’s continued support for the joint fighter program.

($1 = €0.9119)

Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andreas Rinke; a letter from Miranda Murray; Editing by Kirsty Knolle and Mark Heinrich

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