The German Defense Ministry has expressed concern over the planned purchase of US F-35 fighters as part of its army modernization, according to a document seen by AFP. Berlin announced in March the purchase of 35 of the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft, along with 15 Eurofighters, to replace part of its aging fleet of Tornado fighters.
An election linked to the war in Ukraine, Berlin explained then, saying that it would continue to bet on European combat aircraft (SCAF) in the longer term. But the Defense Ministry raises concerns related to possible “delays and additional costs” for this nearly ten billion euro request, according to a classified letter to the parliamentary budget committee.
The risk factors relate to the airfield upgrade work needed to accommodate the F-35s, as well as safety requirements and potential problems with the approval of flight operations in Germany, according to the letter. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense assured that there will be a “close collaboration” with Parliament and a “clarification” of these issues. An emergency meeting is scheduled for Monday at the Defense Ministry, with the participation of members of the budget commission belonging to the three parties of the government coalition, parliamentary sources indicated.
“Extremely ambitious” schedule
The commission must in principle approve on December 14 a first tranche of financing for the project. The document, which AFP has read, was prepared for a commission by the Ministry of Finance based on assessments by the Ministry of Defense. According to this document, there are doubts about the ability to complete by 2026 and the start of delivery of the fighters and the necessary works at the Buechel airbase that is supposed to house them.
The current schedule is “extremely ambitious,” he explains. In addition, the security requirements imposed by the United States are complex, which could add delays and additional costs, the document added. There is also a risk that approvals for F-35 flight operations in Germany will not be obtained on time due to a lack of necessary documents, he said. This would mean that flights could only be operated with restrictions.
The document cites other factors that could generate additional costs, such as inflation, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro or the increase in production costs. The costs of these planes will have to be financed with an exceptional endowment of 100,000 million euros announced to modernize its army by Germany at the end of February after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The question of the replacement of the Tornado, which dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, has occupied the German political world for a long time. The country has a fleet of 93 copies, for some dilapidated. Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz said last week that he wanted to finalize the contract for the F-35 by the end of this year, considered the most efficient fighter jet today.
Source: BFM TV
