Germany Will Order 15 F-35 Fighter Jets From The US To Strengthen Defense Amid European Security Threats

UNSPLASH/Berend ILLUSTRATION Verheijen

JAKARTA - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to order an additional 15 F-35 fighter jets from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

This report was disclosed by a parliamentary source to Reuters on Monday, October 20, confirming a report by Spiegel magazine.

Planners expect the additional aircraft to cost about 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) according to classified documents prepared for parliamentary budget committees, the source said.

Germany has ordered 35 US-made jets to replace the fleet of 85 aging Tornado fighter jets, which will be deactivated.

The F-35 aircraft was designed to replace Tornado in its role in carrying a US nuclear bomb stored in Germany in the event of a conflict.

Berlin previously denied plans to acquire 15 additional F-35 fighter jets in July, but a significantly increased defense budget has created more space for the purchase of weapons.

At the time, military sources told Reuters that the idea of obtaining 15 more F-35 jets had become part of a previous discussion.

The decision to buy more F-35 aircraft could spark new tensions between Germany and France that have clashed over their struggling fighter jet project, FCAS, or SCAF in French.