Germany Plans to Order 15 More US-Made F-35 Jets

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to order 15 additional F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin, according to a parliamentary source cited by Spiegel on Monday. A source speaking to Reuters said budget documents prepared for the parliamentary budget committee estimate the extra jets will cost around €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion).

Replacement of Tornado Fleet

Germany previously ordered 35 F-35 jets to replace its 85 aging Tornado fighter jets, which were scheduled to be retired. The F-35s will take over the role of carrying US nuclear bombs stored in Germany in the event of a conflict.

Earlier Plans and Budget Increase

Berlin had rejected plans to purchase an additional 15 F-35s in July. However, a significant increase in the defense budget has now created room for further acquisitions. A military source told Reuters at the time that the idea of buying 15 more jets had been part of earlier discussions.

Potential Tensions with France

The decision to acquire more F-35s could create new friction between Germany and France over the FCAS (SCAF) next-generation fighter jet project, a program that has already faced disagreements between the two countries.