Germany Buys 35 F-35 Lightning II Combat Aircraft

The German Ministry of Defense is procuring 35 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

In mid-March, Germany confirmed plans to buy F-35s to replace old Tornado jets. "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," Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a statement.

The Tornado is the only German fighter capable of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs, which are stored in the country, in case of a conflict. Tornados are old- the German Air force has been flying them since the 1980s, and Berlin is planning to phase it out between 2025 and 2030.

The U.S. State Department greenlit the F-35 sale to Berlin valued $8.4 billion four months later.

The agreement includes a comprehensive package of engines, role-specific mission equipment, spare and replacement parts, technical and logistic support, training and armament.

Training of German pilots with the first new planes is slated to begin in the U.S. in 2026. Those activities are scheduled to move to Germany the following year, before the Luftwaffe, Germany’s Air Force, declares an initial operational capability (IOC) in 2028. That timeline is of particular concern for the Germans because it requires facilities at the country’s F-35 base, Büchel, to be ready for housing the modern planes by 2027.

By the 2030s, it is expected that over 550 F-35s will work together from more than 10 European countries, including two full U.S. F-35 squadrons at RAF Lakenheath.