German Defense Ministry Concerned About Planned F-35 Acquisition – Labass.net

The German Defense Ministry expressed concerns in a document about possible “delays and additional costs” for ordering 35 US F-35 fighter jets as part of the modernization of the armed forces.

In March, the German government announced an order for 35 US F-35 fighter jets and 15 Eurofighters, intended to partially replace its aging Tornado fighters.

The decision is linked to the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine, which German officials have acknowledged, saying they will continue to rely on European fighter jets (SCAF) in the long term.

However, the German Defense Ministry expressed its fears about potential “delays and additional costs” for the order of around 10 billion euros, according to a confidential letter to the parliamentary budget committee.

Clearly, the risks are related to the work to improve airfields and security conditions before the reception of F-35 fighter jets, and the possible problems of allowing air operations in Germany.

According to a Ministry of Defense spokesman, there will be “close collaboration” with Parliament with a view to “clarifying” these questions.

Parliamentary sources indicated that an emergency meeting is planned for Monday at the headquarters of the German Defense Ministry, with members of the parliament’s budget committee and members from the three political parties of the government coalition.