Germany purchases 35 new F-35s, partly in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine
Germany is buying Fort Worth-built F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin as it replaces its aging Tornado in a 100 billion Euro deal (about $109.5 billion), according to a tweet from the German ambassador to the U.S.
The 35 new F-35s were purchased in part in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters, but was also in line with a move already underway to replace the Tornado in Germany’s “nuclear sharing mission in the future,” German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber tweeted.
“The purchase of F-35s is yet another sign of US-German partnership in this challenging time,” Haber tweeted.
The German Luftwaffe at one point had 245 Tornadoes across two variants, built by Panavia Aircraft GmbH, in its lineup, according to the aerospace company. But as the German military looks to modernize and fill gaps in defense capability, the Tornado looks more and more like an antique.
Sky News, a British broadcaster, reported that the British Royal Air Force retired the Tornado and replaced it with new F-35s in 2019.
The move by Germany to purchase 35 F-35s from Lockheed seems to also be a move to meet its pledge to reach NATO’s 2% defense spending goal, according to Reuters.
Lockheed Martin stock prices have risen by about $11 since news of the purchase broke Monday.
Currently, the Tornado is the only German jet with the ability to carry American nuclear bombs, stored in Germany, in the case they are ever deployed. But after about 40 years of using the Tornado, Berlin plans to phase it out between 2025 and 2030, according to Reuters. The F-35 will replace the Tornado in that capability.
“After looking thoroughly into all available options, I decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as replacement for the Tornado in the role of nuclear sharing,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a statement to Reuters.
Reuters reported the purchase of the F-35s “will be a blow for Boeing” as the previous German defense minister preferred that company’s F-18 fighters as an option to replace the Tornado.
Boeing is currently facing woes because of accusations it committed fraud that led to the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX commercial passenger jets, for which an executive living in Keller has been charged.
German Luftwaffe Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz in Berlin said during a joint statement with Labrecht that the purchase is a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to military news magazine DefenseNews.
“There is only one response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression: unity within NATO and a credible deterrent,” Gerhartz said, according to DefenseNews. “That’s why there is no alternative to the decision in favor of the F-35.”
The Luftwaffe will also be adding 15 Eurofighter jets, built by French-German company Airbus, equipped for electronic warfare, to its arsenal, according to Reuters.
The purchase of the F-35s comes a little more than a year after the German Defense Ministry announced the purchase of five P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Boeing for 1.1 billion Euros, according to the ministry.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 4:10 PM.