Ministry: No concrete Plans for more F-35s

Doubts about FCAS Ministry: No concrete Plans for more F-35s

2026-02-22 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

Is Germany preparing to purchase more stealth jets from the US? There have been repeated rumors about this. The Ministry of Defense has no new information on the matter.

The Ministry of Defense has been cautious in its response to reports of a possible order for additional stealth jets in the US. "There are currently no concrete plans and no political decision to procure additional F-35s," said a spokeswoman in response to a query from the German Press Agency.

The German government has so far ordered 35 F-35s from the US. They are intended to replace the Air Force's aging Tornado fleet, which Germany uses to maintain its capacity to deploy nuclear weapons. This deterrence concept, known as nuclear sharing, provides NATO allies with access to US nuclear weapons in the event of a defense.

Ordering additional F-35s in the US is seen as a way to maintain

Ordering additional F-35s from the US is seen as a way to ensure operational readiness in the short term in the event of a failure or cutback of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) planned jointly with France. However, there are security and industrial policy concerns about greater dependence on the US.

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