The German government plans to buy 15 more F-35 fighter jets from the US, citing several sources familiar with the situation, Politico reports, writes UNN.
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As noted, Germany thus plans to increase the planned fleet of American-made aircraft from 35 to 50.
Negotiations between Germany and the US, which have not been publicly reported, are taking place at a difficult time for European defense cooperation, the publication notes. Just a few days ago, tensions between Berlin and Paris escalated over the Future Combat Air System, the flagship European next-generation fighter program, after French industrial companies insisted on taking on 80% of the work on developing the central components of the aircraft, the publication writes.
"We have decided to finally clarify this issue over the next few months," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Berlin. "Disagreements regarding the composition of this consortium have not yet been resolved."
As the publication writes, the discussion of a new F-35 deal marks a noticeable shift for Berlin, which has publicly advocated for FCAS as a pillar of European sovereignty.
The agreement with the US is expected to fill a gap, while France, Germany, and Spain have failed to reach an agreement on European-made aircraft.