Germany selects F-35A as Tornado replacement
F-35 fighters will secure German Air Force's nuclear capability for the future.
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| Italian Air Force F-35A combat aircraft. The Lightning II was recently selected by Germany to replace the Tornado fleet. |
Defense Minister of Germany Christine Lambrecht announced on Monday their plan to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35A to replace the German Air Force (Bundeswehr) Tornado fleet, confirming rumors that have been circulating for some time.
"Today we are making good and important progress with the Bundeswehr equipment," Lambrecht said. "The F-35 offers unique potential for cooperation with NATO allies. Eight European allies have already introduced Lockheed Martin's multi-role fighter jets or are in the process of being acquired. With the further development of the Eurofighter for electronic combat, important key technologies will remain in Germany and Europe. In addition, Germany is securing an important role in the Future Combat Air System FCAS, which was developed in collaboration with France."
The Bundeswehr plans to purchase 35 F-35As and 15 Eurofighter ECRs to replace the current fleet of 93 Tornado aircraft introduced since the early 1980s. As with other projects, timing and quantities are under constant review and may change over time.
With this announcement, Germany officially drops the Boeing Super Hornet/Growler aircraft which was previously announced as the first choice to replace the old German Air Force bomber fleet.
"Today we are making good and important progress with the Bundeswehr equipment," Lambrecht said. "The F-35 offers unique potential for cooperation with NATO allies. Eight European allies have already introduced Lockheed Martin's multi-role fighter jets or are in the process of being acquired. With the further development of the Eurofighter for electronic combat, important key technologies will remain in Germany and Europe. In addition, Germany is securing an important role in the Future Combat Air System FCAS, which was developed in collaboration with France."
The Bundeswehr plans to purchase 35 F-35As and 15 Eurofighter ECRs to replace the current fleet of 93 Tornado aircraft introduced since the early 1980s. As with other projects, timing and quantities are under constant review and may change over time.
With this announcement, Germany officially drops the Boeing Super Hornet/Growler aircraft which was previously announced as the first choice to replace the old German Air Force bomber fleet.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
Image: Italian Air Force
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