Germany approves 10B euro US F-35 jet deal

Germany received approval to purchase F-35 fighter jets manufactured by US defense giant Lockheed Martin as part of a 13 billion euro ($13.85 billion) military procurement project, according to German Defense Minister Christine Lambrect.

The budget committee of the German parliament approved the expenditures, which included 10 billion euros for F-35 jets and funds for the acquisition of encrypted digital radios and assault rifles.

These projects are among the first to receive funding from a 100 billion euro ($106 billion) special fund announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a major policy shift days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

After decades of deterioration since the end of the Cold War, the money will be used to bring the German military's weapons and equipment back up to par.

Lambrecht stated that the 100 billion euro fund for the armed forces would likely not be sufficient to close the gaps that have developed over the past few years as a result of procurement neglect.

Germany intends to acquire a total of 35 F-35 stealth fighter jets, along with missiles and other weapons and equipment, with the first eight aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2026.

The US jets will replace the ageing Tornado, which is the sole German aircraft capable of transporting US nuclear bombs stored in Germany for use in the event of a conflict.