Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

[Rogue Valley]

Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

3.14.22
Germany has decided in principle to purchase the U.S. fighter jet F-35 built by Lockheed Martin to replace its ageing Tornado fleet, according to reports on Monday. The decision, if confirmed, comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last month announced a massive boost in defense spending as the Ukraine conflict forces Berlin to reassess its foreign and defense policies. Berlin is reportedly seeking to use the Lockheed Martin planes to replace the country's Tornado fleet, introduced more than 40 years ago. In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Scholz said he would bring the nation's investments above a key NATO commitment 2% of GDP. The F-35 is considered the world's most modern combat aircraft. Its unique shape and outer coating, make the jet difficult for enemy radar to detect.

At present, the Tornado is the only German jet capable of carrying US nuclear bombs, stored in Germany, in case of a conflict. However, the German airforce has been flying those planes since the 1980s, and they are due to be phased out between 2025 and 2030. Announcing an increase in military spending, Chancellor Scholz said the German army would receive €100 billion ($113 billion) for investments and armament projects. According to sources, Germany plans to buy up to 35 of the planes. Concerns had previously arisen that buying the F-35 aircraft could scupper joint plans with France to build a joint European combat aircraft.

Music to the ears of Lockheed Martin execs and stockholders.

That said, it's good to see Germany finally waking up after a decade of Merkel.

 

[gino]

About time they paid their fair share.

 

[braindrain]

It's too bad old Rostocker got banned. This would have burned his American hating Germans are the master race believing ass up. And it would have been hilarious.

 

[Rogue Valley]

About time they paid their fair share.

2% of GDP was never a NATO mandate, it was a decade-long goal of the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales.

 

[Grand Mal]

About time they paid their fair share.

Paid to who?

 

[Dayton3]

It's too bad old Rostocker got banned. This would have burned his American hating Germans are the master race believing ass up. And it would have been hilarious.

Was he the one that kept going on and on about that pipeline from Russia into Germany? He used to also make fun of where I live.

 

[Rich2018]

Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

Music to the ears of Lockheed Martin execs and stockholders.

That said, it's good to see Germany finally waking up after a decade of Merkel.

It really was their only choice to replace their aging Tornados

F-18's were never a real option, neither were additional Eurofighters.

 

[tanj]

it would seem that Trumps desire for europe to actually participate in their NATO obligations is coming to fruition.

its a pity that it took a russian invasion of ukraine to get their attention.

 

[gino]

There are still many of our allies who do not take paying for their own self defense seriously. I think that New Zealand has basically stopped having an armed military. They have no air force and almost no navy. Germany has gotten so bad, they only had THREE fighter aircraft that were in flyable condition.

 

[ouch]

Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

Music to the ears of Lockheed Martin execs and stockholders.

That said, it's good to see Germany finally waking up after a decade of Merkel.

35 F-35s capable of carrying nuclear bombs sounds like a country preparing for something on the horizon. Considering the current atmosphere, probably a good idea.

 

[Dayton3]

35 F-35s capable of carrying nuclear bombs sounds like a country preparing for something on the horizon. Considering the current atmosphere, probably a good idea.

Almost every U.S. combat aircraft (except A-10s and various helicopters) are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

That alone means absolutely nothing.

 

[Dayton3]

There are still many of our allies who do not take paying for their own self defense seriously. I think that New Zealand has basically stopped having an armed military. They have no air force and almost no navy. Germany has gotten so bad, they only had THREE fighter aircraft that were in flyable condition.

Germany has good historical reasons for shirking spending so much on defense. When NATO was formed any major war would've happened in West Germany, the low countries, and various other West European nations.

So those nations reasoned that they "would supply the battlefield" meaning they would sacrifice a great deal more than simply spending on defense.

 

[Peter]

About time they paid their fair share.

Germany has just announced a huge increase in defence spending.
I'm also slightly surprised by this move as they are designing a 6th gen fighter with France to replace the Eurofighter and I thought they'd just wait and buy a load more of those.

The UK is also designing a 6th gen jet with Sweeden and Italy which also has an engine development agreement with Japan.

BAE Systems Tempest - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

To be fair to Germany they were hobbled in defence spending after WW2 and told to be defensive in nature.

 

[Peter]

Almost every U.S. combat aircraft (except A-10s and various helicopters) are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

That alone means absolutely nothing.

Germany doesn't have any nuclear weapons to drop anyway.
Nor does the UK as we rely on submarines.

 

[Peter]

The Eurofighter isn't cleared for dropping nukes which is why Germany was considering a split buy of Typhoons and F-16's.
Germany is still going with a major upgrade of the Typhoon with a new radar and other systems.
The UK is going with a slightly more powerful version.

 

[lemmiwinx]

It's good to see European countries contributing to their own defense for a change. That's what Trump was trying to get them to do but all they did was laugh at him. Now Putin has done what Trump couldn't.

 

[Peter]

It's good to see European countries contributing to their own defense for a change. That's what Trump was trying to get them to do but all they did was laugh at him. Now Putin has done what Trump couldn't.

Europe has always had good defence we just don't spend the crazy money you do.
The UK has had its colonial times and there's zero appetite for us to be the worlds policeman in the way many Americans seem to want.

 

[lemmiwinx]

Europe has always had good defence we just don't spend the crazy money you do.
The UK has had its colonial times and there's zero appetite for us to be the worlds policeman in the way many Americans seem to want.

Americans don't want to be the world's police but if not us, who? Seriously we're getting close to the end of our rope. Time for the UK or France or Germany to step and take some of the heat.

 

[yankintx]

Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

Music to the ears of Lockheed Martin execs and stockholders.

That said, it's good to see Germany finally waking up after a decade of Merkel.

I believe it's a going to he a lucrative time in the defense industry
.
Welcome to the Cold War II

 

[yankintx]

it would seem that Trumps desire for europe to actually participate in their NATO obligations is coming to fruition.

its a pity that it took a russian invasion of ukraine to get their attention.

Yup

While patting him on the back, tell him this:

We know you held up aid to Ukraine to extort a political favor from a foreign leader.

No one's perfect

 

[Oozlefinch]

I'm also slightly surprised by this move as they are designing a 6th gen fighter with France to replace the Eurofighter and I thought they'd just wait and buy a load more of those.

That is still over a decade or more away until it enters service (2035 at the soonest). But with some of the recent actions around the world, they are finally waking up to the fact that they can not just sit back and coast any longer.

A 40 year old fighter is perfectly fine, when your region is largely at peace and it is expected to only sit in inventory as a deterrent. But when one of your neighbors is starting to act belligerent and expansionist, you need to be much more proactive in upgrading and replacing the equipment you have.

 

[Peter]

Americans don't want to be the world's police but if not us, who? Seriously we're getting close to the end of our rope. Time for the UK or France or Germany to step and take some of the heat.

As I said there's no public support for the UK to take that role.
We had our time and we don't fancy another go.

 

[Dayton3]

As I said there's no public support for the UK to take that role.
We had our time and we don't fancy another go.

Why not?

 

[Peter]

Why not?

Because we've had our time and mainly because British people tend to be less opinionated and brash than Americans.
It's just not something we want.

 

[gbg3]

Germany intends to buy F-35 stealth military jets

Music to the ears of Lockheed Martin execs and stockholders.

That said, it's good to see Germany finally waking up after a decade of Merkel.

Then today, it appears the U.S. is planning to buy 30+ fewer F-35s and Lockheed stock is down over 6% on that U.S. news.

Pentagon to request fewer Lockheed F-35 warplanes in next budget - report

The Pentagon will request 61 F-35 stealth warplanes from Lockheed Martin Corp in its next budget, 33 fewer than previously planned, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

www.reuters.com