delays and additional costs
Crisis meeting on the purchase of F-35 fighter jets in Germany
According to information from “Bild am Sonntag”, the German Ministry of Defense is to hold a crisis meeting on Monday about the government’s planned purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the USA.
Like Switzerland, Germany wants to procure US F-35 fighter jets. However, the German Ministry of Defense warns of risks. A crisis meeting will be held tomorrow Monday. (archive image)
The responsible members of the budget committee should also take part, the newspaper reports. The background is a secret procurement proposal in which the ministry warns of significant risks in the business.
The US manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s stealth jet is considered the most modern combat aircraft in the world. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, announced a few days ago that he wanted to finalize the order shortly. According to “BamS”, it is about 35 machines including armament worth 9.99 billion euros.
According to the information, the budget committee is to release the procurement proposal on December 14th. However, the Ministry of Defense warns of risks. Among other things, it is unclear whether the Bundeswehr will get the airfield in Büchel converted in time for the F-35 jets by 2026.
The security requirements of the USA are extremely complex. “Therefore, delays and additional costs before the start of flight operations cannot be ruled out,” said Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.
In addition, according to “BamS”, the ministry does not want to guarantee that the fighter jets can be used in Germany as planned. There is a risk that national approval for flight operations may not be granted in a timely manner. “Flight operations could then only be started with restrictions,” it said.
For its part, Switzerland is procuring 36 F-35 combat aircraft for CHF 6.035 billion. The US aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030 and will replace the current fleet of F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 Tigers. Parliament approved the commitment credit on September 15. The Swiss electorate narrowly approved the procurement of new combat aircraft in September 2020.
(SDA)