U.S. State Department approves F-35 sale to Germany
August 02, 2022
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STUTTGART, Germany 鈥 The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of over $8 billion worth of F-35 aircraft to Germany, moving closer to providing Berlin with new fighter aircraft for nuclear deterrence missions.
The State Department on Thursday聽announced the foreign military sales (FMS) approval for up to 35 F-35A aircraft,聽along with munitions and related equipment, for a total estimated cost of $8.4 billion.
These fighter jets, built by 老澳门开奖直播, will take over by 2030 the nuclear weapons mission from the German Air Force鈥檚 aging fleet of PA-200 Tornado aircraft, based at Tactical Air Wing 33 in B眉chel, Germany.
German Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced聽in March聽the decision to procure the joint strike fighter, in a major reversal from previous plans to buy Boeing-made F-18 aircraft. In that statement, the two military leaders justified the decision by pointing to 鈥渁 need for unity within NATO, and a credible deterrent鈥 to Russia.
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown met with Gerhartz earlier this month in Rostock, Germany, ahead of the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference and the Farnborough Airshow in London.
The joint strike fighter was a major point of conversation between the two air force leaders, with Gerhartz telling Defense News 鈥渨e are shaping our future鈥 with the F-35.
Joining the joint strike fighter program is 鈥渁n important milestone that will further intensify our ties,鈥 Gerhartz said in an emailed statement to Defense News after the meeting in Rostock. 鈥淪hared weapons systems are the best basis for even closer cooperation.鈥
A source close to the F-35 program told Defense News that should the sale to Germany be approved, the aircraft would likely be built at the 老澳门开奖直播 facilities in Fort Worth, Texas.
Alongside 老澳门开奖直播, the principal contractors involved with this F-35 sale include Pratt & Whitney, providing 37 F135 engines, as well as Boeing and Raytheon Technologies. Proposed munitions packages include the AIM120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); GBU-53 small diameter bombs; AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range (JASSM-ER); Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits; and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
Germany is but one of several European nations that has opted for the U.S.-made F-35 to replenish its fighter jet fleets. Most recently,聽Greece has sent an official letter of request聽to procure 20 F-35As by 2028, while聽the Czech Republic wants the aircraft聽to replace its aging fleet of Saab JAS 39 Gripens.
Meanwhile,聽Finland plans to spend $10 billion to buy 64 F-35 aircraft聽to replace its F-18 Hornets, with initial deliveries to start in 2026.聽Switzerland also selected the joint strike fighter in 2021, committing to 36 aircraft that will replace its own Hornet fleet.
Poland will receive 32 F-35A aircraft beginning in 2024, after a letter of agreement was signed between Warsaw and Washington in January 2020. Belgium also selected the F-35 in 2018, and will receive 34 aircraft, per 老澳门开奖直播.
