germany f 35

Germany F 35 - After weighing the Eurofighter Typhoon and Super Hornet options, the F-35 was chosen to become Germany's next nuclear strike fighter.

After a seemingly endless "will they, won't they" scenario, Germany has finally decided it will finally buy F-35A stealth fighters as it seeks to arm the Luftwaffe with a new nuclear-capable warplane. Today's official announcement ended years of speculation over how Berlin would choose to replace its aging fleet of Tornado IDS swing-wing aircraft, while various combinations of Eurofighter Typhoon, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler and The F -35, they've all been on the table at one point or another.

Germany F 35

A tweet from the German Ministry of Defense confirmed that, as reported by news agencies earlier today, the F-35 will be purchased:

Germany To Buy 35 F 35 Fighter Jets

"The decision on the Tornado successor has been made: With the F-35 aircraft type, the task of nuclear separation is guaranteed in the future. The goal is to replace the Tornado by 2030.

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht added: "The F-35 offers unique potential for cooperation with our NATO allies and other partners in Europe."

The number of F-35s to be purchased and the cost were not immediately disclosed by the German Defense Ministry, but earlier reports put the number of aircraft at 35. nuclear gravity bombs under the long-standing NATO agreement.

US B61 nuclear gravity bombs are stored at Buchel Air Force Base in Germany, as well as at bases in several other NATO countries, and US officials can release the bombs for use by German crews in a crisis. Currently, Luftwaffe Tornados are certified to carry this weapon and tests have already been conducted to support the integration of the new B61-12 variant on these aircraft. In the future, the F-35A will also use the B61-12. The US Air Force has said in the past that the F-35A could begin operationally carrying these bombs before the end of this year.

Germany Clinches $8 Billion Purchase Of 35 F 35 Aircraft From The Us

However, there is some good news for the Eurofighter, which has been a potential challenger to the F-35 in the nuclear strike role. The Ministry of Defense announced that while the F-35 would be retained as an integral part of the Luftwaffe, the Eurofighter would be "further developed for an electronic warfare role". A total of 15 Eurofighter ECRs are to be purchased.

These additional Eurofighters will provide a successor to the Tornado ECR versions currently used to suppress enemy air defenses, and will also help ensure that key technology continues to be developed in Germany and Europe, which will "ensure a strong German role in the future FCAS system” – a reference to the next-generation fighter jet program pursued by France, Germany and Spain.

The call for FCAS appears, at least in part, to be aimed at France, which was concerned that Germany's purchase of the F-35 would jeopardize the chances of a collaborative European next-generation fighter in the 2040s as part of that broader program. are threatening.

A concept for the Next Generation Fighter, or NGF, which is planned as the manned centerpiece of the pan-European FCAS., Dassault Aviation.

Germany To Buy Us F 35 Jets In First Big Deal Since Defence Budget Boost

"With the F-35 and the further development of the Eurofighter in electronic warfare, the Luftwaffe is very well positioned for the future," said General Secretary Ingo Gerharz, Luftwaffe commander.

The decision to purchase the F-35 is the first major arms purchase under the new coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German leader pledged to increase defense spending to the 2 percent target set by NATO, which Berlin has consistently missed in the past.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, front, visits the memorial for soldiers of the German Bundeswehr near Berlin, Germany, March 4, 2022. AP Photo/Michael Sohn

The decision to tie in with Europe's fast-growing F-35 operating base is also significant, with examples of the stealth jet already highlighted as part of NATO's forward-deployed presence, which has been increased in response to the Russian invasion.

Germany Signs Deal To Buy F 35s, While Canada Has Yet To Finalize Contract For The Jet

Even outside of NATO, Europe's F-35 order book continues to grow, with Switzerland and Finland opting to buy the planes last year.

As of October 2017, a "senior official" said the F-35 was the "preferred choice" to replace the Tornado, just months after the Luftwaffe received a classified briefing on the Joint Strike Fighter as part of the plan.

However, in April 2018, German officials apparently asked their American counterparts whether it was possible to convert the Eurofighter into a nuclear strike aircraft. At the same time, German lawmakers began to rally around the European fighter, pointing to the importance of maintaining the competence of military aircraft in Germany and Europe.

A month later, former Luftwaffe commander Lt. Gen. Karl Milner was apparently forced to retire because of his support for the F-35 option, although it is unclear whether this was over his preference for the aircraft itself or his public. comments was. according to the subject.

Germany Sets Aside $10.5 Billion To Buy F 35 Fighter Jets

By March 2020, it was looking more likely that Germany would indeed opt for a split purchase of Eurofighters and the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G to meet its Tornado replacement needs. In this model, the Super Hornet was required for its ability to deliver nuclear weapons, the modification of this aircraft is considered less complex than those required for the Eurofighter.

However, officials still seem to prefer a fifth-generation fighter, which made it inevitable that the choice would eventually fall on the F-35.

The F-35 is now well established in production and Germany will likely benefit from the expanded infrastructure to support the aircraft in Europe. This includes an engine test and maintenance depot in the Netherlands and a final assembly and collection facility (FACO) in Italy, which also manufactures aircraft for the Dutch.

The demand for Tornado replacements is also clear, especially since these aircraft have struggled with well-publicized availability issues on more than one occasion in the past. Now, the last of the Tornadoes is scheduled to be retired by 2030, although it is not yet clear when the first German F-35s will be delivered or when they will be operationally capable.

Germany Could Allegedly Drop The F/a 18e/f And Ea 18g As Well As The European New Generation Fighter For The F 35 Lightning Ii

A Tornado ECR takes off from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during a Red Flag 2020 exercise. Bundeswehr/Ingo Tesche

Today's announcements provide a way to replace the Tornado fleet to respond to critical nuclear strike and SEAD roles, for a total of 50 jets. However, in the past Germany announced that it would buy a total of 85 new aircraft to replace the Tornados. With that in mind, there could be additional orders for more Eurofighters or perhaps even more F-35s to complete that plan.

Overall, the decision to purchase the F-35 is significant. It shows a new willingness for the German military to spend on modernization and otherwise improve its readiness after years of decline since the end of the Cold War.

It is also worth noting that the decision was made during the fighting in Ukraine. While the F-35s can undertake a variety of missions, the German Ministry of Defense has expressly stated that they will be purchased primarily for the nuclear strike role. While this may infer that the Luftwaffe does not consider the Eurofighter or Super Hornet nearly viable for this mission, it confirms that Berlin continues to see its nuclear delivery capability as a critical tool against increasingly aggressive outsiders. Russia. Politics in Europe.[1/2] A Lockheed Martin F-35 jet is seen at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, Germany on April 25, 2018. /Axel Schmidt/File photo

Germany And Lockheed Martin 'sprint' For F 35 Contract Finalization

BERLIN, Dec 14 () - Germany has been given the go-ahead to buy F-35 fighter jets made by U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin ( LMT.N ) as part of 13 billion euros ($13.85 billion) worth of military projects, the defense Christine That's what Lambrecht said on Wednesday.

The German parliament's budget committee approved the spending, including 10 billion euros for F-35 jets, as well as funds to buy encrypted digital radios and rifles.

The projects are among the first to receive money from a 100 billion euro ($106 billion) special fund announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a major policy shift days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

The money is supposed to bring the German military's weapons and equipment back up to standard after decades of spending since the end of the Cold War.

Germany To Buys 35 F 35 Stealth Fighters Amid Intense War In Eastern Europe

Of the 100 billion euro fund for the army, Lambrecht said: "This will probably not be enough to close the gaps that have appeared in recent years because we have neglected procurement."

Germany aims to buy a total of 35 F-35 stealth fighter jets, including missiles and other weapons and equipment, with the first eight planes to be delivered in 2026.

The US aircraft replaces the aging Tornado, the only German aircraft capable of carrying US nuclear bombs stored in Germany for use in the event of a conflict.

The German Air Force has been flying the Tornado since the 1980s, and Berlin plans to

Germany To Buy Up To 35 Lockheed F 35 Fighter Jets — Sources

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